Hardware removal lumbar L3-L4 Pro's and Con's

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Hi, I had a fusion of L3-L4 just 1 year ago. It has been the best thing over all. It's a long recovery as so many know but the presurgery pain is all but gone. What I'm left is hardware pain! OUCH! The doctor has determined the best is to remove it. Again, Ouch! Has anyone had their hardware removed?? What is the recovery? Has it helped? Please let me know!
Thanks
 
I'm a thoracic fusion gal, but I've had 2 sets of hardware removed. One was posterior hardware - 2 roRAB & screws, and the second removal was a lateral plate and 2 screws from an XLIF. I am happy I had both done. They were separate procedures.

The posterior removal was a comparatively easy recovery. But, I suspect there is less tissue being disturbed my level (T6-7) than at lurabar? In any case, they're just plucking it out, not drilling, sawing, and whatever else they do during a fusion. MUCH LESS traumatic. And my muscles were very happy to have that stuff out of the way!

The removal of the lateral plate was much more invasive and the recovery was difficult. Still, I have NO REGRETS. I'd definitely do it again in a heartbeat.

But, I kind of have this idea that one's body doesn't like foreign objects unless absolutely necessary. Since I was at the point of being finally fused, I was happy to have this hardware out.

Do make your own choice. But, I feel much less of the stabbing, poking, aching feelings (and triggering muscle spasms) that the hardware caused. Everyone is different.

Good luck. A second opinion might help you gain more insight.
 
I had a left sided screws and rod removed that were supporting and L5-S1 fusion. The CT scan showed that one of the screws was going inside my L45 joint which was causing pain. This was about 6 weeks ago, and I cannot notice a significant difference yet. How can you determine that your pain is from the hardware?
 
In Noveraber or Deceraber I anticipate possibly having my hardware removed. I am fused L4-S1 (1993) and will be having my hardware removed and re-done L3-S1 (anterior and posterio).
 
Hi SpineAZ,

How did they do your fusion in 1993? I hear that the anterior approach usually works better. My doctor used actifuse in the L5-S1 interbody area and I had the axialif procedure done, but it does not seem to be fusing. I am wearing a bone stimulator now and hoping that helps the bone growth, but it does not feel more stable yet. Have you noticed that the hardware inside makes you feel more stiff and restricted in movement in the time period where you felt ok?

Thanks.
 
My lurabar fusion in 1993 was done posterior only. I did use a bone growth stimulator for my cervical fusion and it worked well and I fused rather well and quickly.
 
Hi SpineAZ,

In the posterior fusion did they fuse your interbody area at L5-S1 or did they fuse the pars defect area on the left and right side? I had a pars defect, broken bones on the left and right side, causing my L5 to move back and forth and grind down my disc above S1. So they removed the bad disc and put a central screw in the interbody area and tried to fuse that, which is not fusing. I was just curious if you had the interbody region fused or did they fuse the sides.

Thanks again.
 
Hmmm, I'm not sure. The surgical report says:

Posterolateral fusion with simmons pedicle screws and plates, left posterior iliac crest bone graft.

I make sure to get a copy of all my surgical reports. You wouldn't believe how happy my current doctor was to see I had all that stuff from back in 1993. Once you have hardware in it can be difficult for doctors to know exactly what was done so the surgical report helps.
 
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