Why do surgeons take out the rods?

[les1980]

I have been reading varisous post and found many people had their rods removed. I really don't understand why they would do this? I had anterior fusion done in 1994 and 2-3 months after surgery I fall. My screw broke. Last year (nov 2005) I had revision surgery anterieor and posterior. everything above the broken screw was not fused and had fractures throughout my spine. My Dr left the broken screw in and replaced everything else. I was told by my Dr that the screw was fused with the bone and he felt uncomfortable removing it because it could cause me to be paralyzed.

[ScoliGal]

well they could become infected and need to be replaced with new ones. sometimes they are accidentally placed on a nerve that will cause a lot of pain for the patient, and maybe one of the rods has to be taken out, not necessarily both. but it is important for the fusion to take place first, and then any neccessary removal may be done.

[LindaRacine]

Occasionally, the rods cause some very specific pain, and they are removed in the hope that they'll resolve that pain.

--Linda