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? rod removal, injury caused, no scoliosis

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  • ? rod removal, injury caused, no scoliosis

    my husband has 2 rods in his back, fused from T2 - T12. he has slight discomfort and is considering having them removed. does anyone have any insight on risks/benefits of removal. thanks.

  • #2
    I wouldn't get them removed, as he can have pseudoarthritis later on(failing fusion) and the curve might come back. Exercises such as light weights and swimming helped me a lot, since building muscles around the hadware helps holding it. Just like having a bit of fat instead of being too skinny.
    35 y/old female from Montreal, Canada
    Diagnosed with scoliosis(double major) at age 12, wore Boston brace 4 years at least 23 hours a day-curve progressed
    Surgery age 26 for 60 degree curve in Oct. 1997 by Dr.Max Aebi-fused T5 to L2
    Surgery age 28 for a hook removal in Feb. 1999 by Dr.Max Aebi-pain free for 5 years
    Surgery age 34 in Dec.2005 for broken rod replacement, bigger screws and crosslinks added and pseudarthrosis(non union) by Dr. Jean Ouellet

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    • #3
      are you sure it's the rods causing discomfort? what i mean is has he had xrays recently and a diagnosis from a doctor? i think part of it depends on how long ago he had surgery (and what kind of instrumentation he has). some of the systems used 30 or so years ago can cause problems eventually and need checking out
      diagnosed aged 14 (2001)
      braced from july 2001 to february 2003 to hold curves
      fused T11-L3 on july 16th 2005 (aged 18)
      Discharged by surgeon july 11th 2007 (aged 20 and almost 2 years post-op)
      scoliosis support forum

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      • #4
        Hi Kerry...

        You might want to do a search on rod removal (see Search icon above), as there have been several other discussions on the topic.

        I've known several people who have had their rods removed. Some say it had no affect on their pain, while others say they knew immediately that the pain had been relieved. While it's surgery, it's usually a relatively easy surgery for the patient with a quick recovery, especially compared to the initial spine surgery.

        You can find an abstract for the only study I know about here:

        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...496&query_hl=1

        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

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        • #5
          hmmm..

          Im no expert by any means, but I wouldn't get them removed unless it was suggested by a doctor after many many X-rays and consultations...I talked to a woman who had the surgery over 30 years ago and she was having severe pain in her spine and couldnt figure out why...They came to find out that over all this time her nerves had grown around the rods and were practically pinching each other and causing a lot of pain..She had to have the surgery re-done after all that time...They wouldnt risk keeping the rods out permanently because of the possibility of the curve coming back and causing more damage..Ho bad was your husbands curve before his surgery?
          23 year old female..Surgical correction done in 1995 at 12 years old..rods and pins from top to bottom..Corrections from 65 degrees on top to 33 degrees and 40 degrees on bottom to 19 degrees.

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