Hi, I had surgery in May & June, I did great, no pain, no cane, on pills. Until Oct 14, I was walking and I felt a pop in my back, with some pain, felt like a pulled muscle, but was getting worse,and my ribs have a lot of pain. I went to see Dr. he x-ray me and it is cracked, (a old rod from 2002) he did not go up that high his work was all at the lumbar and sacrum. So sad to say I am having surgery Jan. 9 to replace 2 old rods. As everyone knowes this is very upsetting, but the pain fells like a knife is in the center of my back. Lu
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Old rods
Collapse
X
-
Lue,
I "feel" your pain...don't know if you have read my post but I just broke a rod a couple of weeks ago. I just had my revision 18 months ago and was
doing great so this came as a complete surprise to me. I'm sure it did to you as well. Do you feel the rod moving now that it is broken?
My back feels clunky and loose. I wish you luck in your surgery in January...May 2008 Fusion T4 - S1, Pre-op Curves T45, L70 (age 48). Unsuccessful surgery.
March 18, 2010 (age 50). Revision with L3 Osteotomy, Replacement of hardware T11 - S1 , addition of bilateral pelvic fixation. Correction of sagittal imbalance and kyphosis.
January 24, 2012 (age 52) Revision to repair pseudoarthrosis and 2 broken rods at L3/L4.
Comment
-
Hi Lue - - ((hugs)) - - i'm so sorry you're in so much pain. Last we spoke (after you broke your rod), you were doing so-so and were waiting to go see Dr. Kebaish. Can he give you anything for the pain until Jan.9th rolls around?? It sounds like you're really hurting...are you still able to work or did you have to stop?? Call anytime...my rods haven't broken (yet!!) but we can vent to each other about all this back crap! It's for the birds! Ok, take care --- TTYS
Michele1993/1995: PSF w/ Harrington rods T3-L4
Jan. 24, 2012: ALIF of L4-L5, L5-S1 w/ cage spacer and BMP
Jan. 31, 2012: PLIF of L1-S1 w/ pelvic anchors
Scheduled Nov.15, 2012: Fusion T2-S1 w/ pelvic anchors to fix T12 fracture
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ot/myback2.jpg - BEFORE
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT2342x406.jpg - AFTER
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...CT1410x229.jpg - AFTER
www.jerseyot.blogspot.com
Comment
-
Originally posted by Lue View PostHi, I had surgery in May & June, I did great, no pain, no cane, on pills. Until Oct 14, I was walking and I felt a pop in my back, with some pain, felt like a pulled muscle, but was getting worse,and my ribs have a lot of pain. I went to see Dr. he x-ray me and it is cracked, (a old rod from 2002) he did not go up that high his work was all at the lumbar and sacrum. So sad to say I am having surgery Jan. 9 to replace 2 old rods. As everyone knowes this is very upsetting, but the pain fells like a knife is in the center of my back. LuBe happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
Comment
-
Lue
Oh boy, I cant believe it. I hope you can control the pain until surgery.
I had the soldering iron at 2 years out and thought I might have broken a rod, but didn’t. It was a soft tissue injury. It’s a scary thing.
Hang in there
Ed49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
Pre surgery curves T70,L70
ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada
Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=
My x-rays
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258
Comment
-
If there is movement, they bend just like a paperclip. Eventually, it will break. I have read a million cycles. If there is no movement and a solid fusion can occur, the rods don’t do much.
Fusion mass can vary, from cheesecake, to stone. Everyone is different. Why this happens, nobody knows.
When we have full fusions with many levels, the odds are higher that a level can be compromised. It’s a numbers thing.
Anterior and posterior fusions balance out the fusion and are used in difficult cases like myself.
Ed49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
Pre surgery curves T70,L70
ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada
Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=
My x-rays
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258
Comment
-
So wouldn't it be better to get the hardware out, assuming that the fusion occurred and is solid? Or do you just wait for a rod to break and then have it out? If the rod breaks, can it cause dammage requiring new instrumentation?
Sorry for the ????
I don't want to scare anyone.Be happy!
We don't know what tomorrow brings,
but we are alive today!
Comment
-
Lue and Kristi,
I'm so sorry to read about your broken rods. I'm not sure I want to try to play golf for awhile even if Dr. Lenke gives me permission. I've been told that they won't know if you are fused or not, even at a year, unless you get a CT scan. Were you both told that you were completely fused or was it just assumed at a year?Karen
Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
Rib Hump-GONE!
Age-60 at the time of surgery
Now 66
Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
Retired Kdgn. Teacher
See photobucket link for:
Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/
Comment
-
Linda would answer best, but assuming that the fusion occurred is not something they do, they go in and see, and then deal with the situation.(re-fuse) Ct’s are used to take a peek first.
Broken rods that rub will create metal particles and can lead to infection.
Removing hardware is not something that you take lightly. It has happened, and over the years the forces “can” re-curve the spine. Karen Ocker knows about this, she had a scoli surgery in the 50’s before any hardware was used. It only makes sense in a revision to keep things simple, work on that specific level without opening up a large area.
I said that rods don’t do much after a solid fusion BUT, in this case they do........bone remodeling happens in about 2 years.
Do all scolis remodel and re-curve without hardware after fusion? I don’t know this answer, or percentages.
Ed49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
Pre surgery curves T70,L70
ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada
Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=
My x-rays
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258
Comment
-
Karen
I took things easy in my recovery. My arm and shoulder were broken, so this is understandable.
After my shoulder surgery and my shoulder was healed, it was about 15 months, I relayed the fact that I was nervous about skiing to Dr Menmuir. He ordered me to go skiing, and if I didn’t go, he would go with me......take a day off! Wow! He didn’t want me walking on eggshells for the rest of my life. Shooting another CT isn’t worth it, the radiation is too high. If a pseudarthrosis happens, it happens, then hardware breaks.
I too was pretty nervous,(I have a Utah Park City thread with pics), but it all worked out slowly, just a little at a time. It took about a year....
See what Dr Lenke says, I would guess that he will want you to “slowly” work on your swing. Just a little at a time. No heavy driving for awhile.
Ed49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
Pre surgery curves T70,L70
ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada
Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=
My x-rays
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214
http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258
Comment
-
Originally posted by rohrer01 View PostSo wouldn't it be better to get the hardware out, assuming that the fusion occurred and is solid? Or do you just wait for a rod to break and then have it out? If the rod breaks, can it cause dammage requiring new instrumentation?
Sorry for the ????
I don't want to scare anyone.
The only trauma that would break a spinal rod that's intact would probably be the force of a freight train hitting you head on.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
-
Ed & Linda,
The way I understand it from Dr. Lenke's office is that after a year, they do not take a CT scan, but "assume" you are fused unless something looks odd in the x-rays. I was just thinking that if I'm not 100% fused, which from what I've read on the forum is normal, that a repetitive movement could break a rod like a paper clip that bends and bends and then breaks. I can believe that this wouldn't happen if you have a solid 100% fusion, but what if it's only about 75% fused at a year?Karen
Surgery-Jan. 5, 2011-Dr. Lenke
Fusion T-4-sacrum-2 cages/5 osteotomies
70 degree thoracolumbar corrected to 25
Rib Hump-GONE!
Age-60 at the time of surgery
Now 66
Avid Golfer & Tap Dancer
Retired Kdgn. Teacher
See photobucket link for:
Video of my 1st Day of Golf Post-Op-3/02/12-Bradenton, FL
Before and After Picture of back 1/7/11
tap dancing picture at 10 mos. post op 11/11/11-I'm the one on the right.
http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k630/pottoff2/
Comment
-
Originally posted by golfnut View PostEd & Linda,
The way I understand it from Dr. Lenke's office is that after a year, they do not take a CT scan, but "assume" you are fused unless something looks odd in the x-rays. I was just thinking that if I'm not 100% fused, which from what I've read on the forum is normal, that a repetitive movement could break a rod like a paper clip that bends and bends and then breaks. I can believe that this wouldn't happen if you have a solid 100% fusion, but what if it's only about 75% fused at a year?Melissa
Fused from C2 - sacrum 7/2011
April 21, 2020- another broken rod surgery
Comment
Comment