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    hi i have found this forum and find it very helpful. i had surgery on jan. 4th 2007. i,m 43 years old and my curve was not to bad but had a large rib hump (very ugly) was also in pain, it was getting worse as i was getting older. i figured i would get surgery done now that my kids are old enough to take care of themselves. ages 18,17,13,9 all boys. anyway found out about 3 weeks after surgery that one of the screws snaped and came loose on top, near my neck. so the bars feel loose and one rod is sticking into my muscle.in severe pain i was wondering if this has happened to anyone else so soon after surgery. the last thing i want to do is to have surgery again but have no choice. waiting for a surgery date.

  • #2
    Hi Lor,

    Welcome to this forum!!! I haven't heard of that exact complication, but we all experience different things. My right rod is slightly longer on the top and it used to poke through, and it hurt like hell.

    Once I gained some weight back, it lessened, but I still have some problems in that area on occasion.

    I understand the thought of going through any type of revision surgery so soon after the first. But I think the sooner the better.

    Shari

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    • #3
      Hi Lor...

      I'm sorry to hear about your implants. It's not unheard of.

      Interestingly, something similar happened to someone I know (via the internet). Coincidentally, it happened just before the 2006 Scoliosis Research Society annual meeting. Because I attended and had access to some surgeons who are considered the top in their field, I asked 6 of them what the treatment would normally be. Each one of the 6 said that they would take the patient back to surgery ASAP and fix the implants.

      I don't say this to alarm you, but I think it's fair to ask your surgeon what his/her plans are. If you want to see if you're losing correction, ask the doctor to show you xrays from immedately following the surgery, overlaid by a recent xray.

      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

      Comment


      • #4
        thanks for your reply's. i was wondering if anyone has had rods that were to long. both my rods are visable through my skin up by my neck . i do have a curve toward my upperback which i do not know if they can correct since it is so close to my neck. how long can the rods be? can they go up as far as the neck? one doctor told me that they can go into the neck. if my rods were stable i,m sure i would have less pain and would not feel the rod as much as i do but now that the screw popped out both rods i can feel when i move my head. it is a very strange feeling. how long should you feel your hardware in your back normally?

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        • #5
          Hi Lor...

          Rods can actually go the entire length of the spine (C1-sacrum or pelvis).

          It is not normal to feel the implants. From your description, I strongly suspect that your implants need to be reaffixed to your spine. That they actually are moving.6 What is the surgeon saying? Does s/he plan to just observe you for awhile? Is there any chance you can get a second opinion?

          --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

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi Lor,
            I'm sorry to hear you're having these problems! I have 4 rods, and I thought that I was able to feel the newer ones (in the lumbar region). When I went to my specialist though, he explained that they were actually several inches below the "surface" skin level. He felt around, and in fact what I was feeling was the lumpy scar tissue that hasn't yet smoothed out. I have screws with my new hardware, and I know that's why I need to have x-rays before every check-up for the first while to make sure that they are okay. He said that screws can break. My older rods (hooks, not screws) go to T3/4 - sometimes, if I am in a poor posture position for too long, the top of my rod tears at the tissue and muscle. It hurts. For me though, they wouldn't remove it - I go to phsyio and have become more aware of my positioning of my shoulders. After my first surgery I had a hook removed (fusion didn't take), and that surgery was relatively simple compared to the one I had just gone through. What you are going through sounds painful. How long are you going to have to wait? Hopefully this surgery will be nothing compared to what you just experienced.
            Cena
            Nov. 2006 - revision surgery
            Aug. 1992 - revision surgery for hook removal and pseudoarthrosis
            July 1989 - Cortrell Doubosett procedure - two rods and fusion T4-L4 (age 13)

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            • #7
              i do not have a surgery date yet. but am trying to get in asap. my doctor said there is no rush but i have alot of sharp pain where the rod is poking at my muscle, did not even think about the curve returning. i have always had poor posture and that might be why the screw popped off. my doctor said this is not that uncommon but i just had surgery jan 4th 2007 and am very upset how do i know this will not happen again.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by lor6027
                how do i know this will not happen again.
                Unfortunately, you don't. There are no guarantees. Luckily, it's usually a relatively small surgery to fix the implants, and your recovery should be much quicker than the first time around.

                --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

                Comment

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