How Many CT Scans did you have?

[SusanS]

Hi everyone,

I would like a little feedback on the number of CT scans everyone's had. My surgeon is ordering another one on my six month follow-up. I've had two so far and I feel nauseated for weeks after each one. I really worry about the level of radiation, particularly since I'm overweight and I know they have to increase the radiation levels. At the same time, I want him to have all the information he needs. I'll check back with them and see if they feel it is absolutely necessary, but in the meantime I'd like to know how frequently they are generally done.

Also, is a CT scan the only way they can tell if the hardware is still secure, or can an x-ray or MRI show how stable things are? Sometimes I feel like the metal is shifting around a little bit which may be why he wants one. Does anyone else ever have any shifting or movement sensations?

Also, my pain levels are still pretty significant... is that fairly normal at six months out? I read where someone is walking five to six miles a day at six months out and I couldn't believe it! I still have enough pain that walking for any distance isn't yet possible. I sure can't wait until it is! But I am definitely improving a great deal. I guess we all heal at different rates.

Thanks!

Sue

[LindaRacine]

Hi Sue...

I think the majority of patients do not have CT scans after surgery, unless there's a specific problem (unexplained pain), or if the patient is enrolled in a study. Am I understanding correctly that you've had 3 CT scans in 6 months? I hope not! CT scans aren't all that great in showing if there's a non-union. The best test for that is a tomograph, but that's probably even more radiation than a CT.

I hope you can figure out what is causing your pain. I would say that most people are recovered in 6 months, but not everyone. I really wasn't out of pain after my first surgeries 20 years ago, until about 2 years postop.

Regards,
Linda

[SusanS]

Hi Linda,

Thanks for the reply. So far I've had two CT scans of the thoracic and lumbar spine since January, one prior to surgery and then one after surgery because of leg numbness and pain, and they discovered a misplaced screw at L5 so I had to have a revision surgery a couple weeks after my anterior surgery (they did the posterior fusion first, that was the one resulting in the misplaced screw).

I am still having right leg pain and numbness though, and then I also felt a pop and subsequently it felt a though I had an incisional hernia, so he may just be trying to diagnose the hernia. I am concerned about having so many CT scans. This one is also to be for thoracic and lumbar spine.

The other real problem I've had ever since the initial surgery is a great deal of hip pain and swelling. The swelling still persists even though I am six months out. i think the leg pain may be improving slightly, but it is still numb. The weird thing is if they press my leg I get blown blood vessels in my feet and ankles (like varicose veins). My pain mgmt dr refers to it as fibro pain, but the blown blood vessels aren't really a fibro thing, so I'm baffled. Apparently so are they. Have you seen anything like this or heard of it happening? Anyway, I digress. I'm sure that has no bearing on ordering the CT scan unless he thinks the hip problem may be another nerve root issue.

I'm going to get more info on the necessity for a CT scan and whether he thinks it is worth the radiation exposure risks. Thanks for the info. I just didn't know if this was routine or not and he didn't say why he was ordering it.

Sue