How Does a Physician Diagnose Your Costochondritis?

Answer 1

After open heart surgery about one week later, the right side of my lower back was really hurting, so much so that I went to the emergency room, was checked out by the doctor on staff and he inserted a plastic tubs in my right side, at which point a lot of stuff fell out (looked like hair gel).  After that I was operated on 4 more times where tubing was inserted to get rid of the fluid.  I don't remember the emergency surgeries, but 2 weeks after being seen in the emergency room, I was released from the hospital and taken to a rehab center.  It has been an extremely long recovery but except for sore ribs and my diaphragm elevated, I am doing okay.  My questions is was my condition called costochondritis?  Is this normal, and what could have caused this to happen?

Comments

In most cases of costochondritis, no cause is identified.However, it may be the result of physical trauma (due to direct injury, strenuous lifting, or severe bouts of coughing), associated with scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or a tumor (benign or cancerous).
Infection of the costosternal joint may cause costochondritis in rare cases. Most cases of infectious costochondritis are caused by Actinomyces, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Salmonella. In rare cases, Escherichia coli can be a cause of infectious costochondritis.There is anecdotal evidence of costochondritic chest pain being associated with Vitamin D deficiency in some cases, and multiple anecdotal reports that it could be associated with chest binding, as practiced by some members of the transgender community. It also can be caused by relapsing polychondritis.