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  • #1

    Taking Hardware Out?

    Hey all,
    I recently had my year post op oppointment with my surgeon. Everything was going fine but I have been having pains where my screws are in my pelvis. I am fused from about T-9 to my sacrum with iliac screws anchoring to my pelvis. He told me it could be from Sacral Arthritis and is sending me to have injections to knumb the pain. If those don't work he said he will wait until 18 months post op and schedule a surgery to have the hardware taken out. Has anyone else expierenced this? I'm so confused. I don't want to have my hardware taken out completly.. seem's like a huge waste of my time. Also, I remember my pain post op and it was INSANE. I don't want to go through that again.

    Any help would be appreciated!
    Crystal
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Hi Crystal...

    If you do a search on the word "removal" you'll find a lot of other mentions.

    It seems to me that if your pain is localized, it might be a good idea to have the specific screws removed first to see if that helps. Taking out all the implants would be a much larger surgery than just removing the specific problem screws.

    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

    Comment

    • #3
      I'm sorry this is happening. Have you thought of a second opinion? I am all for them! One doctor told me the begining of May he would not touch my spine because I am "too high a risk for complications". I just had my first surgery by a different surgeon and it was huge succes and I feel great! I can wealk!! I go for my second surgery the 27th. If I would have believed the first surgeon I would still be in a wheelchair on pain meds all day. I'll be praying for you.!
      Barb

      11/1976 15th B-day
      Fusion with Harrington Rod, Milw, WI
      T4 to L4
      Pre-Surgery: 76 & 80
      Post-Surgery: 18 & 21

      5/2010 48 yrs old, Thornton, CO
      Flat Back, severe arthritis on bottom, severe pain & can barely walk

      7/13/2010 surgery - anterior
      7/27/2010 surgery - posterior
      8/30/2010 infection in abdomen surgery - 5 in hole
      10/28/2010 infection surgery - bigger hole
      11/03/2010 more infection surgery (18 cm by 14 cm hole), 20 lbs of flesch & tissue removed & wound vac attached

      Comment

      • #4
        Sorry

        My daughter has run into problems which have neccissitated removal of all her instrumentation. The second surgery problems should have been removal of all the stuff but our doctor was optomestic about the look of the site and kept everything in. Unfortnately that didn't work and we ran into emergency surgery which all of the hardware was removed. Unfortunately it was less than 18 months and the spinal fusion didnot hold. We are awaiting the okay on the date we have picked Aug. 24. You have a wise surgeon who took into consideration the time it takes for a spinal fusion to really hold.

        The surgery for the removal is really not that bad. It is probematic when the hardward needs to be replaced back in. Just like the first surgery.

        You will be fine and your not fighting infection which is very very good
        Don't hang yourself up over this- I have and the worry lines and gray hair are not worth it at all.Think positively and it will all work out fine. Just two bumps in the road. Mary

        Comment

        • #5
          I had both screws and the lower parts of my rods removed in Dec 09. I am now scheduled to have the rest of the hardware removed. I have two incisions not parallel to the spine, below my waistline, where they removed the screws and lower rods. They went through soft tissue. That was the most painful of all four surgeries I have had. I'm just now beginning to not hurt somewhere from that particular surgery. I would definitely recommend finding out how the screws are to be removed, new inisions, or go in through the original. Hope this was more informative than depressing!
          Les, Biker Babe, age 56 (at time of first surgery)
          Fused T2 to S2, posterior only, 8 Apr 08
          T3 fracture repair and revision, Mar 09
          Broke left lower rod and pelvic screws removal, Dec 09
          Scheduled to remove all hardware, replaced everything instead due to non-fusion, Nov 10
          Remove top 2" of rods and screws, Feb 14
          Pre surgery degrees: L40, T45
          Post surgery degrees: L8, T10

          Happy, joyous and pain-free!
          Surgeon: C Timothy Floyd, MD, Boise Orthopedic Clinic

          Comment

          • #6
            Originally posted by lapieper View Post
            I had both screws and the lower parts of my rods removed in Dec 09. I am now scheduled to have the rest of the hardware removed. I have two incisions not parallel to the spine, below my waistline, where they removed the screws and lower rods. They went through soft tissue. That was the most painful of all four surgeries I have had. I'm just now beginning to not hurt somewhere from that particular surgery. I would definitely recommend finding out how the screws are to be removed, new inisions, or go in through the original. Hope this was more informative than depressing!
            Hi Les...

            Did your surgeon have any explanation as to why it was so painful? I don't remember every hearing anyone describe implant removal as overly painful before.

            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

            Comment

            • #7
              He went through all that soft tissue in my buttocks. And going through soft tissue is painful and takes a long time to heal. Just all that muscle (and fat) to go through to get to the screws. Think about it. It's alot of muscle to move aside. I would never have thought that it could hurt so much.
              Last edited by lapieper; 08-21-2010, 12:45 PM.
              Les, Biker Babe, age 56 (at time of first surgery)
              Fused T2 to S2, posterior only, 8 Apr 08
              T3 fracture repair and revision, Mar 09
              Broke left lower rod and pelvic screws removal, Dec 09
              Scheduled to remove all hardware, replaced everything instead due to non-fusion, Nov 10
              Remove top 2" of rods and screws, Feb 14
              Pre surgery degrees: L40, T45
              Post surgery degrees: L8, T10

              Happy, joyous and pain-free!
              Surgeon: C Timothy Floyd, MD, Boise Orthopedic Clinic

              Comment

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