Fiona_Jo_324
08-11-2005, 09:05 PM
I FINALLY saw my spinal specialist yesterday and we discussed the results of my MRI. The good news is I am COMPLETELY fused and my spine is STABLE!!! YEAH!! :bouncing: I am happy about this, because this has been what I have been the most concerned about. However, a small tissue mass has formed (next to the instrumentation) and my surgeon feels the pain and muscle spasms I am experiencing is completely related to the instrumentation. I am fairly petite and small boned and he says that issues of these kind are more likely in smaller people. Apparently,now the instrumentation is the cause of the pain and muscle spasms and that it really is quite common. In fact it is not uncommon for the instrumentation to be removed once the spine has stabalized (this was a surprise to me, because I thought this titantium was with me for LIFE). ;) It is really a very BASIC procedure (outpatient) and only takes about 30 minutes and the recovery is a cake-walk compared to the fusion procedure. The thing is my pain lately has been worse then three weeks post fusion. So, it makes sense to me that NOW it would be the instrumentation causing the pain and spasms.
I would be interested to hear from others who have had their instrumentation removed and what have been the LONGTERM results?
- Has it helped the pain?
- Has there been ANY negative ramifications of having the instrumentation removed?
I am interested in ANY and ALL feedback. I am just so happy to finally have a possible solution. I like to stay active and the last couple months I have been frustrated because I have been so limited, again. I am only able to walk about 1/2 mile 3 times a week and I start feeling the spasms half way through the walk. :eek: Any input is appreciated!! :angel:
-Jo :wave:
I would be interested to hear from others who have had their instrumentation removed and what have been the LONGTERM results?
- Has it helped the pain?
- Has there been ANY negative ramifications of having the instrumentation removed?
I am interested in ANY and ALL feedback. I am just so happy to finally have a possible solution. I like to stay active and the last couple months I have been frustrated because I have been so limited, again. I am only able to walk about 1/2 mile 3 times a week and I start feeling the spasms half way through the walk. :eek: Any input is appreciated!! :angel:
-Jo :wave:
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Quietcook
08-13-2005, 02:30 AM
Jo,
According to my spine specialist, he says that his patients who have 1 or 2 level fusions "usually" don't need their hardware out, but that most of his patients who have 3 levels or more do wind up getting the hardware removed about a year or so after fusion. He says that as we heal and become more and more active, the muscles rub over the screws and bother the patient. Mine did not cause me spasms, but intense pain with all the heavy work I did. Of course, you have that tissue mass, and who knows how much that might be contributing. Does the doctor intend to remove that mass when removing the hardware?
With my first 3 level fusions the hardware became noticable as I got more active, but I did manage to keep it in for 17 months. Wished I had not had it out because when my car got side swiped, my fusion might not have broken had I still had the hardware in. That fusion was prior to BMP and the special cages, so when I had to have that break redone and then later three move levels done, he did not need to use the rods and screws. Now, with my 10 level fusion from 8 months ago, naturally there are two extremely long titanium rods and 18 very large screws, but the lower levels do not bother me as I can no longer bend. I am feeling my thoracic levels, especially as I do more and more work, but it isn't as painful as the lumbar hardware was. I'm working on thoracic strengthening exercises and will pace myself a bit better, as the plan is to leave in this hardware. Removing the 3 level fusion hardware was a 45 minute out patient surgery and extremely fast recovery. However, removing 10 levels would not be a short surgery, and being opened up that much would not be so quick a recovery. I'm going to do all I can toward the goal of leaving this hardware in.
Hope all goes well, you bounce back quickly and are rid of pain when you get the hardware out. Let us know how you are doing.
According to my spine specialist, he says that his patients who have 1 or 2 level fusions "usually" don't need their hardware out, but that most of his patients who have 3 levels or more do wind up getting the hardware removed about a year or so after fusion. He says that as we heal and become more and more active, the muscles rub over the screws and bother the patient. Mine did not cause me spasms, but intense pain with all the heavy work I did. Of course, you have that tissue mass, and who knows how much that might be contributing. Does the doctor intend to remove that mass when removing the hardware?
With my first 3 level fusions the hardware became noticable as I got more active, but I did manage to keep it in for 17 months. Wished I had not had it out because when my car got side swiped, my fusion might not have broken had I still had the hardware in. That fusion was prior to BMP and the special cages, so when I had to have that break redone and then later three move levels done, he did not need to use the rods and screws. Now, with my 10 level fusion from 8 months ago, naturally there are two extremely long titanium rods and 18 very large screws, but the lower levels do not bother me as I can no longer bend. I am feeling my thoracic levels, especially as I do more and more work, but it isn't as painful as the lumbar hardware was. I'm working on thoracic strengthening exercises and will pace myself a bit better, as the plan is to leave in this hardware. Removing the 3 level fusion hardware was a 45 minute out patient surgery and extremely fast recovery. However, removing 10 levels would not be a short surgery, and being opened up that much would not be so quick a recovery. I'm going to do all I can toward the goal of leaving this hardware in.
Hope all goes well, you bounce back quickly and are rid of pain when you get the hardware out. Let us know how you are doing.
Fiona_Jo_324
08-16-2005, 07:33 AM
Quietcook .. Thanks for your reply!! My surgeon WILL be removing the tissue mass at the same time he removes the instrumentaion. I will keep everyone posted on how I am doing. :angel:
-Jo :wave:
-Jo :wave:
BobiM
08-23-2005, 06:47 PM
Please let us know how you make out. My son had L4/S1 two level PLIF on April 14. He ended up with 2 surgeries after that as well. One was for readjustment of the screws and the 3rd was because he got an infection (which was a nightmare) and he ended up home with a PICC line. He recovered from that but still has pain. He feels it is from the instrumentation because he is extremely thin. He's thin to begin with but lost more weight with the infection. You can see the lumps from his screws when you look at his back. So, anyway, I will be really interested to hear how you do. When did you have the surgery?
Bobi
Bobi