Is it normal to hurt while coughing after a week home from aortic valve repair?

Probably yes. : Heart surgery is often done through an incision on your chest which will certainly be tender one week out and more than likely hirt more when you cough. If you had it done percutaneously this may not be the case. Either way it would be a good idea to let your doctor know what's going on if you have any questions this soon after surgery.

Yes.: You likely had your valve surgery through a wound called a sternotomy. This means the surgeon sawed through your breast bone. This is a broken bone that is wired back shut during wound closure but will take 6-12 weeks to heal much like any broken bone. You would put a broken arm in a cast for a similar time yet after the cast was removed, your arm would still be sore occasionally.