Sometimes during a surgical operation, artificial hardware needs to be inserted in order to help the injured area heal. You’ve probably heard about plates, screws, wires and rods being used during an operation, and maybe you even have some artificial hardware in your body from a previous surgery.
Depending on where the operation occurred, you may also undergo a secondary operation to remove the hardware once enough healing has taken place. This is common in areas like the feet or ankles where limited natural body padding can make it so that walking or pressing on the hardware can feel uncomfortable. But what about the spine? Hardware may be removed following a spinal procedure, but it’s typically for a different reason than the example described above.
Why Would You Need To Have Spinal Hardware Removed
Unlike the example we gave, it’s unlikely that you’ll undergo a removal operation of your spinal hardware once healing has run its course. In other areas of the body, hardware acts as a bridge to help fractures heal so that the area once again becomes stable. In the spine, oftentimes hardware becomes the bridge to stability because it’s unlikely to stabilize on its own. For example, a degenerative disc isn’t going to regenerate, whereas a toe fracture will heal back together and restabilize. So for many patients, their hardware needs to remain in place in order to leave them feeling the most comfortable and with the highest quality of life.
However, there are still a few reasons why surgeons may opt to go back in and remove the hardware. Four reasons spinal hardware may be removed after it had been inserted include:
- Hardware Failure – With today’s technology, it’s very rare that an artificial device would break and need to be removed, but there are cases of this happening.
- Surgical Failure – If the device is inserted but you’re still dealing with pain, there may be another underlying issue and there’s a chance your hardware could be removed when the true issue is treated.
- Misalignment – If it turns out that the hardware has shifted or was just a few millimeters out of place and is causing problems, a secondary surgery may be ordered.
- Infection – If an infection develops because your body rejects the hardware, or for a reason unrelated to the hardware, the artificial device may need to be removed.
None of the above reasons are ideal reasons to undergo a secondary surgery, but it’s something Dr. Sinicropi can perform if the issue arises. And if your spinal hardware from a previous surgery is uncomfortable, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and we can take a look at what’s going on and set you up with a plan to help minimize discomfort. Certain non-operative changes can also help with hardware discomfort, so we have plenty of tools in our arsenal. For more information, contact our office today.
