Open Heart Surgery and Ribs: What Happens to Your Ribs During Surgery?

When you hear open heart surgery, a surgical procedure where the chest is opened to access the heart. Also known as sternotomy, it's not just about the heart—it's about the whole chest structure that protects it. This isn’t a minimally invasive procedure. To reach the heart, surgeons must open the sternum—the long flat bone in the center of your chest—and spread your ribs, the 12 pairs of curved bones that form the rib cage and protect the heart and lungs. This isn’t a cut-and-paste job. The ribs aren’t broken, but they’re forced apart using a special tool called a retractor. That’s why recovery takes time, and why so many patients feel tightness, numbness, or even sharp pain for months after.

People often assume the ribs are just passive barriers. But they’re not. They’re connected to muscles, nerves, and tendons that move with every breath. When surgeons spread them open, they stretch those tissues. That’s why coughing, sneezing, or even laughing can hurt for weeks. The sternum is then held together with steel wires—yes, real metal wires—that stay in permanently. These wires hold the bone as it heals, which takes about 8 to 12 weeks. Most patients don’t realize their ribs and sternum are healing together as one unit. You can’t rush this. Pushing too hard too soon can cause the sternum to separate, which is rare but serious.

And it’s not just the ribs. The sternum, the breastbone that connects the ribs and forms the front of the chest cavity. is the real center of this operation. It’s cut down the middle like a loaf of bread. That’s why so many post-op guides focus on breathing exercises and posture. You’re not just recovering from heart surgery—you’re rehabbing your entire chest wall. Some people feel tingling or numbness along the incision line for months. That’s nerve damage from the spread. It usually fades, but not always. And if you’ve had multiple heart surgeries, the scar tissue makes each next one harder. That’s why doctors try to avoid repeat open procedures when possible.

What you’ll find in the posts below are real stories and facts about what happens before, during, and after open heart surgery—especially when it comes to your ribs and sternum. You’ll learn who shouldn’t have this surgery, what alternatives exist, how pain is managed, and why some people recover faster than others. There’s no fluff here. Just what matters: the physical truth of what your body goes through, and how to move forward after it’s over.