Is it normal to have aching upper back following a triple heart bypass?

Answer 1

Under no circumstances should an upper back ache may be treated as normal as it can be a symptom of an underlying cardiac disease.
Please immediately take advice of the surgeon who operated you on emergency basis or contact him.

Answer 2

It is normal to have "general aches and pains" after a bypass surgery. Because of the positioning on the surgery table, people often have muscle cramping in different areas. Also, you might still be a bit stiff from laying in a hospital bed for a week, depending on how long ago your surgery was.

If this pain is not relieved by a medication such as tylenol or advil, I recommend visiting your doctor about this pain, especially, of course, if it spreads to your chest, left arm, or jaw area, or lasts very long.

[from a cardiac nurse who works in a cardiac stepdown unit taking care of TONS of bypass patients :) ]

Answer 3

I can't answer for people in general, but as for myself, back in 1991 I had six by-passes. The only problem I have that can be traced to the surgery is swelling in the leg that the vein was taken out of. Of course, for six the entire length of the leg was opened, plus an artery across the inner part of the chest.
Expect numbness where the veins were taken from, but the back pain might be from something else.