Hardware removal

  • Thread starter Thread starter vicki19
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vicki19

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Hi all.... I've read in a couple of posts something about getting hardware removal. Is it common to get the hardware removed? I have hardware in my neck from cervical fusion a year and a half ago. Dr. said we could remove it I wanted--it was bothering me a little, just could feel it sometimes, although it did not hurt-- he said it was up to me. I said I could tolerate. Now I don't even notice. But now I'm 16 days post op for a two level lurabar fusion. Will I need to have this hardware taken out sometime. Does it start to hurt or does it just feel weird. I don't feel anything yet... The thought of another surgery makes me nauseated... :) thanks for any responses
 
I hope your recovery is from your recent lurabar fusion is going well. My understanding is most people do leave the instrumentation in, unless it starts causing issues like pain or other issues to the spine.

I have to say with my cervical fusion, I am fused, but two years after the fusion I'm still experiencing more pain and issues with my neck than I should. I don't know if it's the instrumentation or not, I can't say I really feel the instrumentation, but I do know I have difficulty moving my neck in any direction and am experiencing more nerve pain than I should.

With my lurabar fusion, I fused pretty quickly and did great and can't say that I physically noticed the instrumentation at all. However, after a bad fall something was impacted, because I began experiencing severe pain again. After and MRI and CT Scan my Surgeon determined that a screw was hitting a nerve and caused the severe pain I was experiencing. So, I did have the instrumentation removed, the recovery from the surgery was quite easy and it really did help the pain.

So, while I think it's more the "norm" to leave the instrumentation in. I do think there are situations where it calls for having the instrumentation removed.

I hope your recovery continues to go well. :angel:

~ Fiona Jo ~ :wave:
 
Thanks Fiona, your reply was very helpful. I guess I'll just have to wait and see then. I'm so glad I came across this site. It helps a great deal talking to people who have experienced what you are feeling, and all the frustrations of diagnosis and finally surgery. Looks like you and I both had the cervical and luraber too. I'm a year and a half out on my cervical. My neck was very sore and stiff for a long time. Just recently I noticed that it is feeling much better and I think it might have to do with the daily stretching I do with my neck. Nothing major but I never did go to PT for my neck so I never was instructed on anything about my neck. I hope your neck feels better soon or at least you figure out why. thanks again for your response.
 
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