Help, many questions about 2nd surgery....

[waterpixie1327]

Hello everyone. I'm very happy to have found this site! Anyways, I had a harrington rod placement in January of 2002. I was 15. Keep in mind, I also have Osteo Arthritis. About a year ago, a hard lump developed on my incision, about the size of a golf ball. About a month later, it softened and popped over night. Ever since then, I've had a band-aid in the center of my back. Since then it has pussed yellow and green stuff, sometimes with blood. It closes and opens all the time. I lived out of state this whole time, therefor I couldn't see my surgeon. I saw 6 different Doctors, each one telling me "I don't know what it is-go see your original surgeon" Now, the reason I didn't want to see him, is because 8 months after my surgery, I went to him with pain in my back. He told me to go home and take Tylenol and I'd be fine. I started going to another doctor who told me on my first visit that I had Osteo Arthritis. Question- can you develope arthritis after having harrington rods placed????? Anyways, I recently moved back to the state where my original surgeon is, and saw him a couple days ago. As soon as I saw him and he knew what was wrong, he got nervous and had to sit down. He kept repeating "oh boy, oh jeez, oh boy..." He then told me that I may need surgery again to take the rods out. He says it's worse than the placement surgery due to him having to dig the srews and rods out of my bone. He also told me that I'll be layed up for 3 weeks after the surgery, with an IV, and a nurse will have to come see me everyday for those 3 weeks. I don't know why, but for some reason, this doesn't sound right to me. He says that I have an infection near the rods. I'm very very worried. I was never informed of the possibilities of the first surgery. I never knew I may have to have another surgery or knew any of this would happen.
If I have the 2nd surgery, will I have to have rods replaced in a 3rd sugery? Does anyone know the possible side effects. Could I develope some other problems? I've been hearing a lot about flat back syndrome...could someone let me know what that is? I've also heard about people having problems with their lungs and heart (there's not enough room for them-something to do with the ribs.) I don't know where to start or what to do. I am afraid I may be in a wheelchair long before I should. And all this time I've been having pain, and thinking it was because of my arthritis and it could have been from my surgery. I thought the surgery was a cure and nothing bad could come of it.
I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me some advice or insight as to what I should do. Has anyone had these problems before? Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'm sorry it's so long, I just didn't know where to start or stop. Thanks again. If you want to email me, my email address is Waterpixie1327@hotmail.com

[Diana Black]

Waterpixie,

I hate to say this but i think you might have MRSA. My surgery was in january last year and in November i developed a large blister on the wound which shortly burst and, like yours, has been oozing a greeny-yellow pus ever since. I've been put on strong antibiotics, but the bottom line is, if it doesn't clear soon, I'll have to have my rods out, too.
I may be wrong, and four years seems a long time for the bacteria to 'incubate', but otherwise your symptoms sound the same as mine. I go twice a week for my dressing to be changed and sometimes the dressing comes away nearly clean, but then the next week the wound will have got deeper again.
The good news is that, after 18 months to 2 years, the rods are no longer needed, so you should not lose any of the correction to your spine. There is also someone on this site who recovered fully from the MRSA once her rods had been removed.
I hope this is helpful - let us know how you get on and try to find out the truth.

[waterpixie1327]

Mrsa????

Could you tell my what MRSA is? I have no idea. Do you know what it does to you? Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it.

[CaliGirl]

Hi, MRSA is Methicillin Resistant Staphococcus Aureus. If you google it you will find thousands of sites with lots of information that will be able to explain it a lot better than I can. But here is a little bit from the CDC website for you,
"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems."MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are know as CA-MRSA infections. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people. (see Community-associated MRSA. )" I hope this helps. Good Luck.

[sweetness514]

Hi waterpixie,

I'm sorry for what you are going through. You can have your rods taken out, that usually takes care of the problem, but there is a risk that later down the years the curve can come back. About flat back syndrome that happens when you lose lumbar lordosis(the curve in your lower back), and about having problems with your heart and lungs that's usually when you are not fused and have a big curve-at least 60 degrees.

Good luck to you.

[Diana Black]

Exactly! But, if you google it, don't get alarmed by all the ' fatal superbug' references. It's only dangerous if you're extremely frail, elderly or post-operative. The wound you now have is your symptom - things aren't likely to go on from there. if they are talking about taking rods out and putting you on IV antibiotics, it does sound like MRSA. Medics seem to be very reluctant to name it.
By the way, I read somewhere today that low-grade infections (which is how my MRSA is classed) can be in the body for years before any signs appear.