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Praying I wont need my metalwork out

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  • Praying I wont need my metalwork out

    I had to call my surgeon yesterday because this pain around my screws is driving me mad-im a year post op now and didnt expect to be having this pain.

    As well as the screws stinging I also have a feeling like a ball of pressure between my shoulderblades and when I do activities it becomes intense and the only way to relieve it is to lie down.

    My surgeon said the problem I have is that I have no fat at all in the middle of my back so it becomes easily aggrevated.He said if it doesnt settle down by 2 years he will remove the metalwork.

    I absolutely dont want this to happen, for one I dont want another operation and two I would be scared to loose that metalwork in case I loose my correction.

    Im not a skinny minny, im classed as slim so surely im not the only one who doesnt have fat on my back?
    Fused T2-L4 with costoplasty on 3/11/10

  • #2
    Back fat ; )

    Hi!
    I'm sorry you are having so much pain with your screws. How is it that they are protruding? I have heard of others having the metal removed and the recovery is much quicker than when they put the rods in. Also, once your spine is permanently fused, you won't really need the hardware anymore. I think your surgeon is smart to wait until two years as the fusion is sure to be set by then.
    I don't have any back fat either but don't feel any pain, just varying degrees of muscle tightness.
    How much longer before you will be two years post op?
    50 years old!!!!!
    Wore Milwaulkee Brace 1976-77
    Original curve 36 degrees ( measured in the 70s)
    Advanced to 61 degrees 01/2011
    Surgery 07/11/2011
    Fused T1-L2 (curve now in the 20s!)

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi there,

      The screws are right where the apex of my curve was and my surgeon said he wouldnt remove the screws either until im 2 years post op because they are where most of my correction was made-im actually wondering if they are bigger screws if thats possible? Could that be why they stick out so much?

      I am 1 year post op so I have a way to go yet.
      The muscle tightness you feel-is it ever right in the centre of your back? Like there a fist stuck in there?
      Fused T2-L4 with costoplasty on 3/11/10

      Comment


      • #4
        The Fist

        Funny you should say like a fist. I called it The Fist. I haven't had it in about 6-8 weeks. It would come first thing in the morning, about 10 minutes after getting out of bed.
        I cannot imagine screws coming out the other side of the vertebrae! Is that normal? No wonder you are in so much pain and discomfort!
        50 years old!!!!!
        Wore Milwaulkee Brace 1976-77
        Original curve 36 degrees ( measured in the 70s)
        Advanced to 61 degrees 01/2011
        Surgery 07/11/2011
        Fused T1-L2 (curve now in the 20s!)

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by bluestone View Post
          Hi there,

          The screws are right where the apex of my curve was and my surgeon said he wouldnt remove the screws either until im 2 years post op because they are where most of my correction was made-im actually wondering if they are bigger screws if thats possible? Could that be why they stick out so much?

          I am 1 year post op so I have a way to go yet.
          The muscle tightness you feel-is it ever right in the centre of your back? Like there a fist stuck in there?
          I have the same feeling as you. I describe as a foot kicking me
          Melissa

          Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011

          April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery

          Comment


          • #6
            For me, "The Fist" relaxed over time, although once in a while I still get it.

            I'm 3 yrs post op, and I have one screw that bothers me at times. I'm not sure what causes it either, which is very frustrating. Motrin or even tylenol takes away the pain from the screw, and a few weeks ago at my 3 yr checkup, the dr. gave me an injection of cortisone/lidocane in that area. I think it's helped. But I can't be sure if it's the cortisone that made it feel better.

            I know that people sometimes get their hardware removed, but in my case, I would hesitate just for this one screw when I can deal with it in other ways.

            Good luck,
            __________________________________________
            Debbe - 50 yrs old

            Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
            Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

            Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
            Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
            Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

            Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
            Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

            Comment


            • #7
              Screwy screws

              I have 2 screws that seem to bother me quite a bit. They are the ones under my shoulder blades. The whole
              area is very sensitive. As a matter of fact, my whole back is still sensitive. If someone touches my back,it feels
              like I've been shot with a taser gun (or what I would think that would feel like). And of course,
              the sensitive spots seem to draw back slaps, and pats on the back. I didn't know you could get
              cortisone injections for these spots...lately it seems like the screws are causing my chest and back wall to feel
              inflamed and painful. At least this is my self-diagnosis. Nothing that a little Aleve won't cure, I hope ;-)
              May 2008 Fusion T4 - S1, Pre-op Curves T45, L70 (age 48). Unsuccessful surgery.

              March 18, 2010 (age 50). Revision with L3 Osteotomy, Replacement of hardware T11 - S1 , addition of bilateral pelvic fixation. Correction of sagittal imbalance and kyphosis.

              January 24, 2012 (age 52) Revision to repair pseudoarthrosis and 2 broken rods at L3/L4.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by naptown78 View Post
                I have 2 screws that seem to bother me quite a bit. They are the ones under my shoulder blades. The whole
                area is very sensitive. As a matter of fact, my whole back is still sensitive. If someone touches my back,it feels
                like I've been shot with a taser gun (or what I would think that would feel like). And of course,
                the sensitive spots seem to draw back slaps, and pats on the back. I didn't know you could get
                cortisone injections for these spots...lately it seems like the screws are causing my chest and back wall to feel
                inflamed and painful. At least this is my self-diagnosis. Nothing that a little Aleve won't cure, I hope ;-)
                Kristy,

                Aleve, Motrin, or believe it or not, even tylenol help my 'spot' quite a bit. However, since I got the cortisone injection, I haven't had to use any of those pills. I hope it lasts a while. My spot is on one side under my shoulder blade--do you have it on both sides?
                __________________________________________
                Debbe - 50 yrs old

                Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by debbei View Post
                  I know that people sometimes get their hardware removed, but in my case, I would hesitate just for this one screw when I can deal with it in other ways.
                  Can't they remove that one screw and leave everything else, perhaps even as a outpatient or a one night stay? It would be a tiny incision, no?
                  Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                  No island of sanity.

                  Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                  Answer: Medicine


                  "We are all African."

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    My doc said if I have this surgery I am almost guaranteed to need the hardware out due to my low BMI. He said the hardware would cause muscle irritation that would probably be worse than the pain I'm in now. I thought that once the spine was fused, you didn't really need the hardware anymore because it becomes solid bone. You would literally have to break your back for it to move. Maybe I'm wrong, but a lot of people have their hardware removed. My surgeon says that is the #1 revision that he does. I hope this alleviates some fear, but most of all I hope you feel better and don't need the hardware out. I can understand your sense of security with it in there. I think I would feel the same.
                    Be happy!
                    We don't know what tomorrow brings,
                    but we are alive today!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hearing from other people who are also in their forties makes me hopeful that this 'fist' in the middle of my back feeling may ease.I know I would feel so much better if this feeling would go-it makes it difficult for me to be on my feet for more than an hour.

                      As for the screws,they visably jut out so they look pretty ugly, im presuming these are the screw heads.
                      The soreness around them is depending on what I do during the day so I think its how much that area is 'rubbed' with activity.Sometimes just reaching forwards for a cup of tea makes me go ouch.
                      Fused T2-L4 with costoplasty on 3/11/10

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Oh bless your heart! I cannot imagine how uncomfortable that must feel- simply reaching for tea, and getting worsened pain UGH!

                        I know, when I look at everyone's Xrays- this is a significant amount of hardware inside your body, yet it's frightening to think of having the screw removed. Praying you find some relief ! Have you tried applying the moist heat packs to your back? I use those a lot- my sister in law gave me a shoulder wrap, you take out the inner heat pack and microwave it, then replace the outer lining and wrap it around your shoulders/ neck area- it helps w/ my pain most of the time, not 100% relief but it does help.

                        I also have left-over memory foam, from my bed topper, and I am going to cut it down to "spine" size and use it as my back pillow. I plan to travel w/ my back pillow.... hope u find something to take the edge off the pain. ~
                        57 years old.
                        thoracic curve 68 degrees
                        lumbar-sacral curve +/- 41 degrees
                        Cspine C3- C7 fusion Nov. 2011 <done! success!!>, then scoli surgery T2- L4 or maybe to sacrum.
                        Discogram/ myelogram pending. Surgery to be scheduled, maybe fall 2015. <scared but I know this is not going to get better>
                        THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR SHARING EXPERIENCES AND KNOWLEDGE!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I find the heat gels that you rub in bring a little relief when I want a distraction from it but my goodness they smell rather strong!

                          I used my wheatbag ALL the time before my surgery-I had a red patch from using it too hot so the fact I dont feel the need to do that anymore could be a good sign?

                          Travelling in the car is a problem-the seats too hard against the screws yet a pillow pushes against them, maybe I ought to think about making a flatter softer pillow.

                          Wishing you all the best X
                          Fused T2-L4 with costoplasty on 3/11/10

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