Who here has had open heart surgery??

please share your expierience.
ive already had it when i was in 3rd grade
i have a concave sternum:which they'll hopefully fix
i have scoliosis which the sternum caused
now im getting a heart cathe somtime this summer and then they'll decide if i need to heart surgery AGAIN but if they cut the membrane to close to the valve i might get a mechanical and ill be on blood thinners for the rest of my life and have the risk of internal bleeding and guess how old i am....

o ya ive had 3 heart cathes and 2 surgeries

OMG! I have. About a month ago. I have the huge scar to prove it.I am 13 soon to be 14

Thanks Report It

Yes, I have had a quad by-pass last Sept. 9th. The experience was not bad at all, almost no after pain except in the leg where they removed the veins necessary for the by-pass, and numbness in the leg after.
Probably one of the only after effects has been shortness of breath, which I had none of before the surgery.
Also, I was almost 80 when this was done.
With today's technology and knowledge, I wouldn't worry too much in your shoes, they really do wonders. Good luck, and cheer up.

i have a heart condition. my heart doctor said i may have 2 go 4 the cathe 2! i really don't wanna go 4 it. can u e-mail me, tell me what it's like? thanks 4 ur help!!!!

I've had 3 open heart surgeries, but not what you described. They were all when I was really little.

Had Mitral Valve repair and a double bypass done on June 1, 2007 at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. I am 51 years old and look forward to another 51 years of time on this third rock from the sun. Check into the above clinic on the web. They took fantastic care of me during my 8 days there. I was able to ride home in a pickup truck ( I live in Georgia.) I am back driving and hope to return back to work within a month.
Good luck with yours, Keep us updated.