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  • Worried

    Hi,

    I have just found out that I have to have another operation to remove the metalwork in my spine because they are irritaing the muscles and nerves too much in my shoulder, neck and lower back and it is causing my constant, severe pain. I found out yesterday that the operation is going to be next Tuesday!!!

    Can anyone tell me more about what to expect? Will I be in as much pain as I was with the last operation? What is the recovery like? I'd appreciate any information you can give me.

    Thanks,
    Laura

  • #2
    Hi Laura...

    I haven't had my implants removed, but have conversed with quite a few people who have. For the most part, people say that it's a pretty simple surgery. Sometimes, there is a lot of bone growth covering the rods, which make surgery more difficult for those people.

    Good luck!

    Regards,
    Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

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    • #3
      Laura, how long have you had metalwork in your back? I had about three to four inches of the top part of the Harrington Rod removed in 2000; the original surgery was done in 1981. The recovery is nothing like the original surgery. It is not painless but certainly so much easier as far as being up and around. I was out of work for a month (work for a great company that wanted me to as I probably could have come back sooner). Only in the hospital for two nights. The only reason I ask how long ago your surgery was is that the dr. was planning to take the entire rod out but once they were in there they saw it was so fused to the spine that he only took out the top portion that was giving me all the problems. I also had the awful neck, shoulder blade pain that just would not go away. It did help me to some degree by having that portion removed. Good luck! LYNN
      1981 Surgery with Harrington Rod; fused from T2 to L3 - Dr.Keim (at 26 years old)
      2000 Partial Rod Removal
      2001 Right Scapular Resection
      12/07/2010 Surgical stabilization L3 through sacrum with revision harrington rod instrumentation, interbody fusion and pre-sacral fusion L5-S1 - Dr. Boachie (at 56 years old)
      06/11/14 - Posterior cervical fusion C3 - T3 (Mountaineer System) due to severely arthritic joints - Dr. Patrick O'Leary (at age 59)

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      • #4
        I had my first surgery in May last year (2004). In the last few months the pain has become unbearable. The doctor said it was probably because I was so small approx. 96kg.

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        • #5
          I don't know about having all the metalwork removed, but I did get hooks and part of my rod on the upper/right side taken out after a year of having the surgery, and it went very well, only about an hour operation. Recuperation was a few weeks, and I know that it is more painful when the harware has been in a longer amount of years as my ortho told me this week not to have my broken rod removed for now.
          35 y/old female from Montreal, Canada
          Diagnosed with scoliosis(double major) at age 12, wore Boston brace 4 years at least 23 hours a day-curve progressed
          Surgery age 26 for 60 degree curve in Oct. 1997 by Dr.Max Aebi-fused T5 to L2
          Surgery age 28 for a hook removal in Feb. 1999 by Dr.Max Aebi-pain free for 5 years
          Surgery age 34 in Dec.2005 for broken rod replacement, bigger screws and crosslinks added and pseudarthrosis(non union) by Dr. Jean Ouellet

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          • #6
            I am due to have my second surgery tomorrow and I am getting more and more worried about it. I'm in pain most of the time now but I don't know whether it will be worth going through another surgery (I was very ill after the first one). Also my mum said she's read a number of posts where people have said the second surgery made no difference to the pain. I'm starting to have second thoughts now. Anyone got any advice?

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            • #7
              Laura, if it is some hardware that tou're having removed I can honestly say that you will feel better AFTER the healing is over with, and it really is no more than a matter of weeks. You just had your first surgery only a year ago, so it's not that hard to take anything out. It took me two years to recover from my scoliosis surgery(although still had some pain, to this day), and when they removed the hooks a year later it helped me SO much, I absolutely had no regrets of doing it and is the best decision I could have made since I could barely move my arm. Good luck, be brave and keep us posted Thoughts are with you.
              35 y/old female from Montreal, Canada
              Diagnosed with scoliosis(double major) at age 12, wore Boston brace 4 years at least 23 hours a day-curve progressed
              Surgery age 26 for 60 degree curve in Oct. 1997 by Dr.Max Aebi-fused T5 to L2
              Surgery age 28 for a hook removal in Feb. 1999 by Dr.Max Aebi-pain free for 5 years
              Surgery age 34 in Dec.2005 for broken rod replacement, bigger screws and crosslinks added and pseudarthrosis(non union) by Dr. Jean Ouellet

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi everyone,

                Just got back from the hospital. I'm a bit sore and tired but everything went well. The operation only took an hour and the surgeon removed all the metalwork except for one hook that was embedded in the fusion. I will keep you updated with my progress.

                Laura

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