How long a lateral open heart surgery incision will hurt is mainly related to the extent of intercostal nerve damage, whether the incision is infected, and the patient’s mood. Lateral open heart surgery incision pain usually disappears within 1~2 weeks, but some patients may need 1 month or even longer.
1. Intercostal nerve injury: Lateral open heart surgery can damage the intercostal nerves, if the intercostal nerves are cut off in a large number during open heart surgery, the intercostal nerves will be seriously injured. Generally, some patients in this situation have the incision pain time of 1~2 weeks to disappear, but some patients with poorer surgical prognosis, the pain may last relatively long.
2. Whether the incision is infected: if the postoperative care is not appropriate, the incision is infected by pathogens causing inflammation if the infection is not serious incision pain may be 2 ~ 3 weeks, if the infection is serious need to do debridement surgery incision pain time is 2 weeks ~ 1 month.
3. Patient emotion: lateral open hand incision pain and the patient’s emotions are also closely related, if the emotional tension the longer the pain time, may be more than 2 weeks incision pain, if the emotional relaxation, incision pain may disappear in 1 week.
Lateral open hand incision pain should promptly seek medical help, under the guidance of the doctor to choose reasonable and standardized treatment.