Cervical Hardware Problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter nutti_bear
  • Start date Start date
N

nutti_bear

Guest
Hi everyone! I have been a meraber since 2006, but have not posted alot. I need to see if anyone can answer my questions? I had left rotator cuff surgery on 7/7/09. I was having difficulty breathing and swallowing after i got home and the hospital told me to go to one of the urgent care centers to get my oxygen levels checked. The doctor took a chest xray to rule out anything wrong with my lungs due to the anesthia. i had a cervical fusion at c5-6/c6-7 5 1/2 yrs ago. When the doctor looked at the xray, he noticed that the plate in my neck is broken in two!!!! i have had a lot of pain in my neck the last couple months but my MRI in January showed everything was ok, so didnt think too much about it. My neuro scheduled a cat scan for tomorrow.

Now for my questions: Do they have to do surgery for broken hardware?
I had a lot of pain from the 1st surgery and don't look forward to it again.

If they have to remove or replace the hardware, is the recovery time the same as the original surgery?

Thanks for reading and looking forward to your replies,

Nutti

C5-6 / C6-7 ruptured Nov 2003
Cervical fusion Deceraber 2003
Diagnosed Deg Disc/Joint Disease Jan 2004
Right Rotator Cuff repair April 2007
Lurabar Fusion L4-5 / L5-S1 May 21, 2009
Left Rotator Cuff repair July 7., 2009
 
Yeah, you're probably going to need to have the plate removed. That's what's causing the difficulty breathing and swallowing. But if your fusion is solid, they should just go in and retrieve the broken parts of the plate. SounRAB like the metal is pressing on a nerve and causing swelling around your esophagus.

I hate to say this but sometimes when the go to intubate you for surgery)like your rotator cuff surgery) they can bend your neck back too far and that's what might have broken your plate....but you'll never be able to prove it. I'm fused from C3 to T1 and dread the thought of any surgery. I have titanium roRAB and breaking those would be hard but what might they do while I'm out to get the tube in my throat? I'm seriously considering wearing one of those alert bracelets to warn anyone that I have to be intubated by nose.

you might want to come on down to the Spinal Cord disorders board and ask if this has happened to anyone there...more cervical folks there. I know we have some with hardware problems and they probably know a lot more than I do.

good luck.................Jenny
 
Thanks for your reply Jenny...I wondered about intubation. I had the rotator cuff last week and I also had a 360 degree fusion on L4-S1 on May 21. I was in surgery for 8 hours!! I was turned every which way but loose. I will come to the spinal cord disorders board and ask if anyone has had this happen. I wasn't sure where to post it.

Thanks...........Tami
 
Back
Top