My Revision Experience/ Picture of Broken Rod

[guacamoleoly]

Hello all-

My name is Anna, and I'm 18 years old, and I recently had revision surgery to remove a Harrington rod I had put in place five years ago. About a year ago, I discovered that my rod had actually broken, and I started having really sharp, constant pain around the area of the fracture.

On June 3rd, I went into the hospital for revision surgery. The pain/recovery was NOTHING like the original. I was up walking the day of the surgery, and I went home the day after. I was much more alert right after the surgery than I had been for the first. The pain lasted for about a week, but then I started gaining more and more mobility and feeling increasingly better and stronger every day. I took myself off of percocet and started taking Tylenol about the 5th day, the percocet made me very nautious and sick.

I'm so, so grateful that I had the revision surgery done. I now have no more pain, and it's helped me feel better about my back now that I have all that metal out. Who wants something broken in them anyway?

During the surgery, my doctor determined that the rod broke because of a pseudoarthrosis (failure of fusion) in that specific area. Apparently, micro-movement of the spine in that area eventually built up stress on the rod and broke the metal. Go figure! He removed the rod and added some extra bone graft to that spot, so hopefully I'll be home free from here.

A month has passed, and the only complications I have developed have been a hematoma (pocket filled with blood that's common after surgery) that re-absorbed into my body in about a week, allergies to the adhesive used on the dressings, and some difficult emotional problems -- feeling sad, tired, having bad thoughts and fears about the surgery in general. I'm hopping that the stress/emotional problems I'm having will eventually get better once all the medicine has left my body.

My doctor used the same incision as before, and my scar healed much better and faster than the previous surgery. So, I would definately recommend it to all those who are questioning having revision done. It's made my life so much better.

I was able to keep all the metal my doctor took out of my back, and I thought you all might like to see a variation of what's inside your body. The picture linked below is of a titanium Harrington rod, measuring about 11 inches long when fitted together. The various clamps and wires were used to bolt the rod to my spine. Sorry I couldn't just attatch it, it was too big :) Enjoy!

Picture of Broken Harrington Rod and Other Hardware (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v415/annersofoz/backrod.jpg)

~Anna

[LindaRacine]

Hi Anna...

For the record, that's not a Harrington rod. (Harrington rods had areas at the top and bottom of the rod to ratchet the hooks.)

I'd like to encourage you to continue to get checked every year or so for awhile, to be sure that your curves aren't increasing.

Regards,
Linda

[guacamoleoly]

Ha! My apologies. That's what my doctor told me it was...Now I feel stupid *grins*.

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

No need to feel stupid! Some people use the term "Harrington Rod" in the generic sense (like Kleenix).

--Linda

[LindaRacine]

By the way, Anna, who was your surgeon and where are you located?

--Linda

[sweetness514]

I'm happy that you feel better Anna, I was wondering about you :)

I am seeing my second opinion tomorrow(Friday), and will see what he has to say about my broken rod. I have a big list of questions! I have read here and weighed a few of my options, that I don't really like for now but will see. My ortho that I have been seeing still thinks that unless the pain increases, to wait for now b/c of what could happen in the future if I take it out, etc.

I was supposed to have an appointment in October for this second opinion, but this lady who is head of secretaries in that hospital went to my dad's shoe store and helped me out, :cool: It's good but makes me wonder why they didn't have any space before :rolleyes: What clout will do...

I would have liked to see a pic of your X Rays with the broken rod before you got the surgery, would have been nice to compare it with mine... The hardware they took out must weigh some, right? :eek:

Anyway, keep on the good attitude and hopefully getting healthier and stronger ;)

[guacamoleoly]

Linda, my doctor was Fred Warren over at Ocshner Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana :). Excellent, excellent doctor. Very caring, attentive, informative and reassuring. He's been my doctor since I was 13 and I've never thought once of switching.

Sweetness! I'm going to go back and try to get copies of my x-rays before and after the rods were broken, and also after my revision surgery. Believe it or not, I actually haven't had a post-op x-ray yet, I'm going to get one for my 3rd post op appt. in August.

The hardware actually doesn't weigh very much. I don't have a scale, so I can't really weigh it, but it's not significantly heavy. Probably not even a pound. Not sure. It IS heavy for being a thin peice of metal, though. And those clamps also weigh a lot.

How long ago was your original surgery? It took about a year from finding the break in my rod for me to decide to go ahead and get the revision done. I'm headed to college in August so I wanted to make sure everything was taken care of, aaand I got tired of being in pain all the time and everyone telling me it was all in my head lol. You should definitely ask your doctor about the expected operation time, recovery time, exactly what he'll be taking out, if you'll be in ICU after (I wasn't, just went from recovery into my own private room) that sort of thing. Just make sure you make the right decision for *you*.

[sweetness514]

I sure will ask all these questions and more. Right now one ortho says no surgery for mow and tomorrow we'll see what the second ortho says. His secretary says to take it out but put a new one, wich I'm not too thrilled to do at this time.

I had my first surgery in '97, almost 8 years ago. I had a second one in '99, to take out one hook on the upper right side. It went well.

I discovered my broken rod this past March, a year after it broke and they said it couldn't :rolleyes:

[LindaRacine]

Sweetness...

If your surgeon told you that your rod couldn't break, I'd like to encourage you to get a second opinion about revision surgery.

--Linda

[rachael]

That's a really cool picture of the hardware. I've often wondered what mine looks like. Thanks for posting that!

[guacamoleoly]

Sweetness--

Just curious, has your spine curved any more since your rod broke? Mine...didn't. At all. Which I'm very glad about, of course lol. Just wondering.

[sweetness514]

Hey Anna...from what they know, the curve didn't progress but they didn't calculate it. My two orthos told me that as long as I have hardware and my bone graft is intact, they think it is fused and won't move. I wanted to know if you had all your hardware taken out or just that broken rod? Also, be sure to check your iron level, as it can make you tired and emotional, who knows...

Linda, my ortho told me that the rod couldn't break, THEN after me pressing him since I felt clicking he said that it could break but not easily at all, and THEN after he saw the X rays and had proof, well he explained to me all the reasons why it could break and I think a lot of doctors say all these things to not alarm patients, although it can be frustrating :mad:

Well today I just went to see the best ortho in my town(considered), my second opinion. He gave me three options:

1)To not do anything, if I don't have too much pain, as some people live with their broken rods.

2)To get surgery, and then they can see if I have pseudo arthritis and if there are loose screws as well as the broken rod, so they can reconstruct with a new piece of rod, bigger screws(don't like that :(), and add bone graft. All this is risky and has no guarantees that I won't be in more pain than I am now.

3)If the bone graft is all fine, to remove all hardware or just the broken rod but that is no guarantee that it won't curve later on.

He says that even if my tomogram shows that I don't have pseudoarthritis, I can have some and they can see it if they operate, wich is frustrating as hell since I don't know what causes it and I don't know why they made me pass a tomogram if they can't see it 100%. Sorry for the rambling but I didn't sleep a wink as I was nervous and am bummed out :(

Well, for now I will take some antiflammatory pills for a sharp pain that I have on the upper right side, as it is not due to the broken rod according to them and due to my neck, as well as go to acupuncture to try to at least take care of that problem.

I will see after if I get surgery or not.

[carebear23]

Oh ouch!

That doesn't sound good. *gives virtual hug*

[LindaRacine]

Hi Sweetness...

Dr. David Bradford once told me that rods don't break unless there's a pseudarthrosis. I trust him, so I think there's a reasonably good chance that you've got at least one non-fusion. Do you have pain? Who are the surgeons that you're seeing?

Regards,
Linda

[sweetness514]

I have some pain, with the crunching and clicking. I'm seeing the best team here in Montreal, Dr. Ouellette who is in charg of four hospitals :eek: He's very nice, attentive and good since my original surgeon who left town to open his own hospital in Switzerland(Dr. Max Aebi) has put him in charge. He does pediatrics and revision, that's all he does all the time.

I'm probably going to have surgery, but for now I'm taking care of another pain that has not much to do with the broken rod and when I do decide to get surgery, we will discuss what to do, as there are many options.

As for pseudoarthritis, he did mention that it can break without having it, but usually does break when there is some and if there is some the other rod could break too :( My question to you Linda, is it lack of calcium or people other than smokers who get it? I don't drink, eat well, don't smoke and take calcium.

[LindaRacine]

Sweetness...

My understanding is that our bodies make new bone at different rates. Some people who don't smoke and who get lots of dietary calcium have a problem fusing. At UCSF, and at many other institutions, the surgeons use BMP (bone morphogentic protein) to enhance the fusion.

Regards,
Linda

[sweetness514]

Oh really, is this performed during surgery? Never heard of that before.

Thanks for the info.

[jenr500]

Hi-
I just had a coritisone shot and I will be having the revision at the Special Surgery. I am glad that it is not that bad. Are you one any pain medication anymore? I still take Ultram 50mg. Are alot of people still on Ultram? do you take any medication? Or were you any medication before (with the exception of the percocet after the surgety?

[LindaRacine]

Sweetness...

Yes, it's a substance that is added to the bone for grafting.

--Linda

[BeachinIt66]

Hi, Yes i am on Ultram for my pain. Does it work for you, it only works to some extent for me. My prescription runs out in a few days and I dont see my surgeon for a few months so i am unsure what to do. Is ultram a strong pain killer or what because it does help somewhat but i still experience pain...its all normal though til over a year post op i just dont tolerate pain well..

[LindaRacine]

BeachInIt...

Before you run out of Ultram, you might want to see if your pain increases if you miss a dose. If your pain increases, you should call your doctor's office immediately to try to get a new RX. If your pain doesn't increase, you may be able to stop taking the Ultram. I was on codeine after my surgery, and was still in a lot of pain. When I stopped taking the codeine, I found that my pain didn't increase.

Regards,
Linda

[sweetness514]

As far as pain meds, I only was on Empracet and some codeine Tylenols for a month after the original surgery. Ever since then, I don't take any with the exception of some weeks or months of anti inflammatories here and there when I have inflammation; like Vioxx who used to help(but is now off the market), and right now they gave me Relafen. They ask if I want strong stuff with codeine or Morphine but I refuse as I don't like being too out of it. The anti inflammatory pills don't do that much, but can help with pinch nerves and inflammation when taken for a certain period of time. The only meds I take every night is Imovane, it helps to release tension, pain and get me some sleep at least.

Linda, as far as the bone graft goes, I was wondering if they take out some of the rod or all of it, would the added bone graft they would perform hold or does it need the rod and hardware to make it fuse? I want my ortho to take some of the rod out but he says that he can only put a new one as it would help the new fusion they would add(bone graft).

[LindaRacine]

Linda, as far as the bone graft goes, I was wondering if they take out some of the rod or all of it, would the added bone graft they would perform hold or does it need the rod and hardware to make it fuse? I want my ortho to take some of the rod out but he says that he can only put a new one as it would help the new fusion they would add(bone graft).

I honestly don't know. I know that people (without scoliosis) often undergo one level fusions without implants. My gut says that you'd need implants to hold the area still while fusion takes hold, but that's just a guess.

--Linda

[sweetness514]

I see. Thing that is now bothering me is that the orthos tell me that there is no risk of me curving more if I stay with this broken rod(and even maybe lose screws, who knows at this point), but if I'm being logic, and I have pseudo arthritis in that area, plus the rod is broken, maybe that means that it's not holding things well and that there is a chance of curving. I'm being a little worried and anxious about too many things I know and I have decided to get surgery but wondered about that.