What is Scoliosis
Scoliosis affects all ages: infants, children, adolescents, and adults. About 80% of scoliosis cases are called adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Idiopathic means the...
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Hardware "check ups"?
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After your surgery and the initial doc visits, etc, did you have to do anything? See a doc to check up on hardware or anything?
I had 16 levels fused with hardware almost 7 years ago and some days it just doesnt feel right back there and I wonder if I was supposed to check back in with my ortho surgeon or if you get the surgery and then just go on with life. I feel like such an uninformed patient thinking of this 7 years later *blush* I didnt want to have to call my ortho office and ask them if I didnt have to, so I am hoping someone else can help me out *heee* Thanks! Posted on 07/19/09, 01:07 am |
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Usually your surgeon will tell you when he wants to see you. But, if no problems, he will not indicate any time table. I think then it's up to you. If you are having problems/pain or just feelings that something might be wrong, i suggest you make appt. I am not quite 3 years post surgery, but after second year i went in to see my surgeon. It was the best decision i've made. He reassured me that i was straight... that i had fused [i even saw it on x-ray] ... listened to my concerns/fear... and prescribed physical therapy to assit with trunk core stability and strength. It is worth a visit for peace of mind. 
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thanks, i think thats just what I needed to hear :D
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well what do you know...I went in for an MRI/CT for other issues and they found a screw loose, so I guess I wasnt off base with my worry! now I just have to figure out what to do about that...
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Hi Korkermom,
Unfortunately, this isn't uncommon. I am not providing this info to scare anyone, but there are a lot of short-term and long-term problems/complications with having a scoliosis fusion surgery. So if you feel like something may be wrong....It probably is. :( I believe Paul Harrington said it best way back in 1963. "Metal does not cure the disease of scoliosis, which is a condition involving much more that the spinal column." We need to find a better way. --------------------------------------------- This follow us study was done 2-4 years post-op. 25 Patients were included in the analysis 6 w/rod breakage or requiring revision = 24% http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/... -------------------------------------------- This one was a follow up 21.5 months (or sooner) post-op. Australia 2006 83 Patients were included in the analysis 13 w/rod breakage = 15.6% http://proceedings.jbjs.org.uk/cgi/c...SUPP_III/446-a --------------------------------------------- Corrosion of spinal implants retrieved from patients with scoliosis. Akazawa T, Minami S, Takahashi K, Kotani T, Hanawa T, Moriya H. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 260-8670, Japan. J Orthop Sci. 2005;10(2):200-5. Corrosion was seen on many of the rod junctions (66.2%) after long-term implantation. We recommend removal of the spinal implants after solid bony union. --------------------------------------------- Wear and corrosion in retrieved thoracolumbar posterior internal fixation. Villarraga ML et al, Exponent, Inc., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Spine. 2006 Oct 1;31(21):2454-62. RESULTS: Wear was present in 75%, corrosion in 39%, and fractures in 7% of the retrieved implants. CONCLUSIONS: Retrieved rods exhibited corrosion, wear, and fracture, with wear and corrosion mainly located at the interfaces with hooks, screws, or cross-connectors.
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