Re: Question for those of you who have gone through the Maze procedure?

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Posted by Carl Plaskett on May 08, 2004 at 07:56:55:

In Reply to: Question for those of you who have gone through the Maze procedure? posted by Pete Reed on May 07, 2004 at 22:56:47:

While I never had the diagnosis,I certainly had "anterior chest wall pain caused by an irritated joint between the rib and the sternum", which is the medical description of costochondritis.

I thought mine was the result of a SEVERE cough which developed from a sinus infection/post nasal drip 2 weeks post maze. I thought my chest would split open from coughing, but Dr. Hammer assured me by phone that I had nothing to fear.

My chest creaked and felt like my sternum was not solid for several months, and I was "aware" of it when lifting, etc. for about 3 years, because my skin felt "tight" at the incision. It did NOT hamper my activities after 3 months or so. I bought a Bowflex machine at about 5 months and used it at least twice a day for several weeks to get my tennis strength back before a vacation. Then I got lazy and stopped using it.

At about 8 months, I engaged in a swimming relay at a party, and after swimming 25 yards of each stroke,(my first "competitive" swimming in perhaps 10 years), my chest was sore for a few weeks, and I even had an x-ray to see if any of the wires holding my sternum together had come loose. Nothing was found, and the discomfort slowly went away. It probably was costochondritis.

Because I have been actively involved in some building projects we had been doing in our shop (hammering, lifting, climbing, etc.) in the last few months, I have consciously been aware of the fact that I can do anything and now can only tell that I have had surgery by looking at my chest and seeing the scar.

I would recommend doing whatever you wish, AND more, as long as your heart doesn't "act up". All of a sudden, you will probably realize that you don't feel anything "different" anymore; but it may take some time, as your orthopedist says.

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