Suffering after triple cabg

I've been scouring the internet hoping to find an answer to my husband's ongoing health "issue".  Jan 28 of this year my 43 yr old husband had a triple cabg done.  Due to minor things, his stay was about 2 weeks (the last being plueral effusion).  He was readmitted back into the hospital 4 days later for continual plueral effusion and on Feb 23 a VATS/pluerodesis was performed.  He left the hospital within the following week.  Ever since he came home from the hospital, he's complained of a persistant pain on his the left side of his chest area.  To him if feels like something is expanding with inflammation, with greater pain when aggravated, and difficulty breathing and it grows worse with constipation.  It would seem this aggravation occurs due to walking/activity.  At our only followup with the surgeon, he said it was an "air pocket".  However, over time this area has grown and shrunk in size along with tenderness levels.  Our regular doc thought it was an inflamed stomach due to the painkillers.  Cardio doc has no idea.  The last doc we've just seen was a gastro, who just did an endoscopy and tho he found problems with his stomach, nothing that he thinks would be related to this malady.  We've now scheduled an appointment with the original surgeon for later this week.  I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask here in case someone else has gone thru something similar.  Thanx for your time.

[kenkeith]

Thank you for sharing your husband's experience.

Your husband's doctor should be able to sort out all of the symptoms and cause.  There may pulmonary and heart issues as well as the muscle and skeletal healing.  Often there is pain in the center of the chest were the sternum is wired closed. Take care and let us know the results with the consultation with the surgeon.  Take care.