Heart Surgery Scar Staring

I had triple heart bypass surgery 5 years ago and have never had any sort of reactions from anybody such as you’re describing. I wear tee shirts 90% of the time and the button up shirts I occasionally wear when buttoned to the top covers my scar.
 
Heart surgery left me with a lot of scars. Looks like I was hit with a machine gun. But with a shirt on no one can tell
I wear button down dress shirts and I imagine my scars are higher than the norm. I couldn't see my fathers either in a T shirt
 
I went to look at a new car a few years ago and the salesman looked at my scar the whole time..

I mentioned it and he apologized saying he was trying to figure out what was going on...

It's the norm here.

My barber looked down and blessed me and gave me a discount...no joke. Poor guy had a stroke a few months later and had to sell his business at 45 yo
 
I’ve never heard of keloids.

It is a genetic trait that mostly affects people with darker skin. Wounds can over heal, leaving a thick, raised scar. If you have a new healing wound, the doctor can monitor and inject steroids that help minimize the scar.
 
You are aren't supposed to be walking around with your shirt open man!

"Why are they staring at my scar!?"
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Seriously though, yours must extend much higher than mine, as mine isn't visible unless I'm not wearing a shirt.
 
You are aren't supposed to be walking around with your shirt open man!

"Why are they staring at my scar!?"
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Seriously though, yours must extend much higher than mine, as mine isn't visible unless I'm not wearing a shirt.
My father was 78 and he got a free experimental heart surgery and it was very short and neat...
I had a guy that just left Cleveland Hospital and apparently a butcher...
That guy had a massive ego too.
 
The second of three melanoma surgeries was on the back of my right hand. I asked the plastic surgeon, "Can you make an ugly scar so I can joke with people that it was from someone's front tooth during a bar room fight". The young woman plastic surgeon replied, "You're asking a plastic surgeon to leave a scar? Not a chance."

Scott
 
My father was 78 and he got a free experimental heart surgery and it was very short and neat...
I had a guy that just left Cleveland Hospital and apparently a butcher...
That guy had a massive ego too.
I had the chief cardiac surgeon from Sick Kids hospital who does the procedure on infants, so I expect his skills are better than most.
 
I guess I am used to seeing the heart bypass scar down the middle of peoples chest. I dont have one, hopefully will never but the future uncertain. All the males in my family do have it. Down the chest and legs. Doesnt faze me. Maybe with time you will be less conscious of it OR not care if people stare.

With that said I have one of the most ugly scars on planet earth, actually two (to me anyway) worst part was I had it since the 4th grade. Initially it GREATLY affected me with being afraid of girls seeing it. I almost died in 4th grade and that was back in the dark ages of the 1960's - ruptured appendix and I was septic, my entire abdomen. Doctors told my parents only god knew if I was going to live.

Anyway, they removed the appendix but could not stitch me closed, had to leave an open wound due to rampant infection, they would constantly go in, probe around to check progress (or lack of) Then a second other wound they cut open to further try to clean out my insides. I had this open wound for 4weeks in the hospital and another few weeks at home once discharged. Never got stitches. Anyway, to this day I am conscious of it, I can pull my bathing suit up just enough to cover it but not always. To this day, any procedures and imaging I have, I get the question. What happened to you? One time I told my parents I wanted plastic surgery and they kind of blew it off, my dad said just "tell the girls you got shot"

Anyway, 60 years later, I still try to cover most of it, though, people who know me dont think much of it anymore.
BTW - prostate cancer last year, had to decide between surgery or radiation. We were already leaning towards radiation before a meeting up at Duke with 3 specialists. Radiation oncologist, Surgeon and Medical Oncologist. Once the surgeon saw my scaring, he said this pretty much seals the deal that you want radiation. He didnt know anyone who could do robotic surgery through scar tissue, he was willing to do scalpel surgery but said there would be a 25% chance he would open me up not be able to proceed and have to close me up again.

Anyway, I get it, kind of sucks what you have to deal with. Just be glad you are alive. I only typed my story to say "I get it" in what you typed.
 
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