Hardware removal

[dixiesmommie]

I haven't been on here in ages! I wanted to post, since a few people have recently contacted me.

I had Harrington rods as a child. I had them replaced when I was 30 with Moss Miami Instrumentation. I suffered a deep wound infection 2 years later. Total hardware removal was done two years after that revision. My back has stayed exactly as it was since the day I came out of my cast in 1976. My curve has not changed at all.

I did need another revision for lumbar and sacrum in 2013. I have lower hardware in now.

I did have my illiac screws removed.

I currently suffer from left leg nerve pain.

I hope this helps anyone trying to decide about rod removal.

Ps. Rod removal is easy compared to fusion surgery.

[Ldwc]

Thank you for posting. I wish more people would post that have had hardware removal. Some people have some serious pain due to the hardware that is put in. I am scheduled to have some of my hardware removed as well. Dr. thinks it will help with 60% of my pain. Hoping for great results.

[Tina_R]

Does rod removal have to be done by the same type of surgeon who performed the scoliosis surgery, i.e. a deformity expert who went through a scoliosis fellowship?

Or can any orthopedic spine surgeon or even a spinal neurosurgeon perform it?

I have thought about having my rods removed but have encountered resistance from the two surgeons I consulted so far.

I would be interested in hearing people's experiences with hardware removal.

[jackieg412]

I think all of those doctors can remove the hardware. There is a lot of reluctance to do so. Maybe a part of The hardware but not all. It can be difficult because of the bone growth.
According to a few of my doctors, the removal doesn't always help anyway. There should always be a very good reason, like infection, loose hardware,etc.

[LindaRacine]

Does rod removal have to be done by the same type of surgeon who performed the scoliosis surgery, i.e. a deformity expert who went through a scoliosis fellowship?

Or can any orthopedic spine surgeon or even a spinal neurosurgeon perform it?

I have thought about having my rods removed but have encountered resistance from the two surgeons I consulted so far.

I would be interested in hearing people's experiences with hardware removal.

I would want to have someone with a lot of experience in removing implants. If the only surgeon you can find to remove implants is someone who isn't a spine specialist, I would be very concerned.

[Tina_R]

I would want to have someone with a lot of experience in removing implants. If the only surgeon you can find to remove implants is someone who isn't a spine specialist, I would be very concerned.

But does he have to be a deformity (scoliosis) expert or can he be a spine specialist who performs other types of spine surgeries?

[Tina_R]

I think all of those doctors can remove the hardware. There is a lot of reluctance to do so. Maybe a part of The hardware but not all. It can be difficult because of the bone growth.
According to a few of my doctors, the removal doesn't always help anyway. There should always be a very good reason, like infection, loose hardware,etc.

My reason is that 1) I have multiple problems including pain, ramrod stiffness, and other weird neurological sensations in my back. I'll try anything to get rid of them.

2) My rods are obscuring any MRI images anyone tries to do for any diagnostic purpose. I'm surprised more patients don't have this problem, I never hear it mentioned on this or another forum I frequent. If using titanium instead of steel gets around the radiology problem I don't understand why steel was used in my case, why it is ever used for anyone.

[jackieg412]

I would think a deformity specialist is best . The MRI is impacted by the hardware. I have titanium rods and still isn't useful to be have a MRI.However, when I had that car accident with a broken neck, the neurosurgeon had a MRI done in addition to a CT scan. On the MRI, they were able to find the blood clots in the epidural layer of the spinal cord. Let me tell you that those really hurt. Once they were removed at least 50percent of t the pain was gone.
For removal won't help with the stiffness unless you don't have that area fused. And if it isn't fused the spine will twist there and believe me there will be pain as all the discs are removed, and then it is bone on bone.

[LindaRacine]

But does he have to be a deformity (scoliosis) expert or can he be a spine specialist who performs other types of spine surgeries?

Almost all deformity specialists also do other types of minor spine surgery, and most non-deformity surgeons do a small number of deformity surgery.

[LindaRacine]

And if it isn't fused the spine will twist there and believe me there will be pain as all the discs are removed, and then it is bone on bone.

While it's common to have some discs removed during deformity surgery, it's rare that all discs are removed. That doesn't mean there won't be problems if there is a non-fusion. (I don't know if it's still being done, but Dr. Gaines was routinely doing a bunch of bone on bone deformity surgeries. I don't think any other surgeons ever believed in the technique.)

[Tina_R]

Yeah, it's possible my spine hasn't fused and then removal might allow it to curve again.

Some people have had great results with removal. Some even say it was a relatively easy operation -- probably not for the surgeon.

One scoliosis surgeon I saw says it is not easy, not when you have to rip metal out of bone. He, incidentally, also says he has never seen a case of rejection of the hardware and doesn't believe it exists. But he's not that old, either.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

[titaniumed]

This might be of some interest....the body environment is harsh.

From the perspective of corrosion, the most important characteristics of body fluids are the chloride, dissolved oxygen and pH levels. Different parts of the body have different pH values and oxygen concentrations. Consequently, a metal which performs well in one part of the body may suffer an unacceptable amount of corrosion in another part.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6384782/

Ed

[titaniumed]

We have never talked about sodium and salt around here....salt can be really bad, especially if you have implants.

Thus, the adverse effect of a high-salt diet on bones degradation and the high prevalence of arthroplasty prescribed every year for elderly people [17] should be taken into consideration as a potential risk factor of implant loosening.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5535979/

Ed

[jackieg412]

If you really think about it, the atmosphere of the human body is under the design to take out anything that is of a foreign nature. Both necessary to keep people well but a challenge for necessary implants.