After open heart surgery?

I had surgery to replace a defective aortic valve, and I've been wondering. How was my skin kept together after surgery?
I see no staples or stitches, yet the skin is together??

Thelardlad2014-12-17T03:57:14Z

Favorite Answer

Commonly the deeper layers are stitched with dissolving sutures. Its becoming common practice to glue the superficial layers and then a medical patch is placed over the scar for 3 or 4 days.

Rebecca B2014-12-16T12:22:50Z

Depending on the particular type of stitches used to close your chest, they may have dissolved away as shortly as 7 days after your surgery.

(Most dissolvable stitches are gone in 7 - 14 days, occasionally it can take up to 3 months but that'd be unusual).

Anonymous2014-12-16T11:50:26Z

your sternum wired shut and stitches that dissolve.