Why do people lose (so much) weight after surgery?

[Back-out]

great to get all this feedback. It's almost a poll! Keep 'em coming.

Say, how much DOES all this hardware weigh lets say for a fusion from T4-pelvic fixation?
I'm someone who takes her shoes off at the doctor's office to get weighed!
At least, I want to know how much to subtract from whatever reading they get.

[JenniferG]

I don't know how much it weighs, but I know my reading glasses are titanium and I chose them because they are almost weightless!

[Nitram]

I think I lost about 15 pounds. For me, I couldn't really eat much the first 2-3 weeks after surgery, just had no appetite. I've gained about 5 back, guess I need to slow down on the ice cream!

As for weight of the rods/screws....mine are stainless steel for the most part and for some reason I want to say my doc said it's probably about a pound or so...but I don't recall exactly.

Rich

[Back-out]

Thanks!

Are some titanium and some steel? I thought all the rods were titanium. But the screws - steel? No more MRIs I guess! As for airline security, I guess they need to Xray you.

[Nitram]

Both titanium and stainless steel instrumentation are used...it's up to the doctor. For me SS was required as they needed as much strength as possible to restore the lordosis in my lumbar spine. I always thought titanium was stronger and as I understand it's harder, but more brittle? Who knows, I asked my dr about it pre surgery and he said for my procedure it had to be SS. I think my cages are titanium, but rods and screws are SS. There are many past threads discussing SS vs titanium if you are interested.

Rich

[titaniumed]

I lost 40# in 40 days on the percoset weight loss program. Under normal circumstances, I usually eat like a horse, but when the "feed bag" isn't on, I lose weight fast!

I found that I had many reasons to quit the meds. Between the constipation, weight loss, and all the other medications that I had to take to deal with heartburn and such, I decided I had to quit before the opiates killed me. I lost my gall bladder due to not enough fat running through my system. The bile wasn’t being released, and cholesterol based stones formed. Once they form, if they do not pass, they just grow. I had several gall stones that were "golfball" sized. Might have been ok, if I was a golfball salesman. LOL This post surgical complication happens in approx 11% of us.

Upon terminating opiates, pain will increase for a few days then taper down. After I was off, and jammed nutrients, I recovered quickly and my problems disappeared. Opiates truly are a double edged sword. Consult with your surgeon about reducing. I did it cold turkey, and experianced withdrawls.

I found that reducing fat was key to losing weight. When I was having gall stone attacks, it seemed that the fat was the catalyst. Upon changing to a gall bladder diet due to being afraid of attacks, I lost 18# in 2 months. I wasn’t dieting to lose weight.

When I had my shoulder rebuilt, I didn’t need any opiates. I took 1 celebrex and that was it. I keep them on my shelf now to remind me of how dangerous they truly are......I didn’t do well with them, and they don’t do anything for nerve pain. I used hot water in a bath tub for dealing with that.

I calculated my hardware weight at 1.1#. The figures are posted somewhere on this forum.......Most screws are cannulated which means they are hollow. The use "K" wires for placement using flouroscopy. The I.D. hole is gundrilled and is approx 1/16 dia. Weight of hardware is quite minimal.
Ed

[Back-out]

heavy metal (and light) and opiates - what is this, a rave?

Thanks much all! Big help! Very interesting abt the metals Rich and Ed.

Guess that's the end of MRI's then. Ed, I'd like to talk to you sometime about opiates and your experience. I self detoxed in June from a massive dose. Tolerance had developed over four years. What were you taking and how much, how long, when you went off? If you'd rather it be private a PM would be very welcome.

Many thanks

Amanda!

[TiffanyK]

When I was at my last appointment, I asked what hardware he would use. He went into this whole discussion of three different types of hardware. There was titanium, stainless steel, and cobalt chrome. Dr. Vora said it depends on the spine's flexibility as to what he uses. The titanium is more rigid and harder to work with and the stainless steel is easier to bend and used for less flexible spines. The cobalt chrome is more of an in between. Let's just say it was a very informative appointment!

[briarrose]

I lost about 12 pounds after the surgery. When I came home from the hospital, I had gained about 3 or 4. I weighed myself a few days later and had lost that plus 12 more! I completely lost my appetite and was made to drink those Boost shakes in the hospital. I was also vomiting a lot when I was home. I gained back the weight after about 4 months, unfortunately. My surgeon was nice enough to say that I looked better weighing more than less, though I think he was just being polite

Shell

[jrnyc]

i am still struggling to gain weight now..i am up from Dr Lonner's measure of 94.5 pounds...but only up to 96 pounds...not very muchmore.. it is the hydrocodone...i never take the oxy anymore...

Dr Lonner originally said he would use whatever i wanted, and i opted for titanium...i, too, have titanium glasses...i like liteweight glasses, and it is so true that they weigh nothing!
this last visit he didnt give me a choice ...he just said titanium and that was it...i used to think my back was pretty flexible...i can bend and stuff...til they X rayed me laying down for the bending X rays...WOW...i could barely bend at all...thank goodness for gravity for now!

it is hard to believe that the hardware doesnt weigh more...a surgeon once showed me some of what he wanted to put in my back...something like 2 rods, 16 screws and a cage or two...it looked like alot!!

jess

[titaniumed]

Amanda
MRI notes regarding Ti and 316 implants. Titanium is non-magnetic.
Some stainless steels will draw a magnet..... I have seen this myself.

7.) Is there a difference between MRI artifacts of stainless steel, pure titanium, and titanium alloys?
The amount of MRI artifacts is proportional to the magnetic susceptibility, and the size and mass of the spine implant. This explains why pure titanium and titanium implants produce less MRI artifacts when compared to ferromagnetic stainless steel spine implants
http://www.centerforspinaldisorders....onance-imaging
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The drugs? How much did I take? I don’t remember.
Good answer huh? LOL

Well first, general anesthesia has about 40 ingredients.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_anaesthesia

Then, after a few days in ICU, they administered Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Lortab, through multiple IVs and injections. This was for major pain from my multiple corpectomies. Those are very painful as they remove vertebrae. No pca, just shots or IV hits every 4 hours.

I went home after 10 days, I was tired of the hospital, and basically ran out of there. (No not with hoses attached) LOL But close.
Upon switching to Orals at home, I realized that there is no comparison. This is why patients should be on orals before discharge.
Oxycodone 5/325 was taken upon release. I took 2 every 4 hours, and that really didn’t cut it. I found that hot 107 degree water in the bath tub worked best for nerve pain. 5 one hour baths per day. I was switched to Percocet's, 7.5/325 and I took 2 every 6 hours. This went on for 6 weeks, then quit cold turkey. I experienced 2 sets of intense withdrawals that lasted about 2-3 days each. The pain increased during this period, then dropped off. I experience 2 sets because I couldn’t hang through the first set and gave in. The next week, I tried again and quit.

I was tired of the party. Heck, I'm pretty much a teetotaler. I never took opoids before my surgeries.

I was used to pain from scoliosis through many years... I broke my shoulder right before my scoli surgeries, and didn’t even make it down to the hospital... Now, I'm completely pain free. I paid my dues.

Ed

[jrnyc]

Ed...
wow...i doubt i could tolerate water of 107 degrees! but i admire what you did...and your pain threshold must be incredible! so glad for you that you are pain free now! you sure did earn it!!

jess

[Back-out]

Ed, thank you for your detailed replies! Shame (for me) you don't remember what dose you self detoxed from. I was taking over 120 mg hydrocodone* and about 20 mg cxycodone when I took myself off. WHAT HELL! The insomnia was the worst. Broke furniture and several ribs, falling in that first month due to exhaustion and "akathisia" - antsy feeling. Depressed too. (Pain increase, last!)

I take abt 15-20 mg hydrocodone/day now plus a smidgen oxycodone - I bite a bit of a pill' it's PRN so I figure an approximate dose is OK. To me this is a drop in the bucket.


* specially compounded to eliminate the Tylenol risk.

[jesscv]

When I was at my last appointment, I asked what hardware he would use. He went into this whole discussion of three different types of hardware. There was titanium, stainless steel, and cobalt chrome. Dr. Vora said it depends on the spine's flexibility as to what he uses. The titanium is more rigid and harder to work with and the stainless steel is easier to bend and used for less flexible spines. The cobalt chrome is more of an in between. Let's just say it was a very informative appointment!

I have cobalt chrome rods and titanium screws. I had my fusion 13 months ago, and it's funny...my surgeon said cobalt chrome was the "new thing" at the time. I am still curious how much it differs from stainless steel... I haven't had any problems with it, though, so that's good!

[LaurieAnne]

Sugery, weight, complications....?

Did any of you have complications due to weight loss from the surgery? I asked my surgeon about potential risks associated with this and he mentioned SMA sydrome (superior mesenteric artery syndrome). I looked it up and it doesn't sound good. Has anyone had this and is it very likely? Also, how much weight did you loose after surgery? How long did it take to come back? I am vasilating as to whether or not I truly need to gain weight for the surgery. Any thoughts or info?

-Laurie Anne
28 years young
Avid exerciser (until 2 months ago )
T-68 L-80
Surgery with Dr. Lenke 12/13/10
Most difficult decision of my life