Medical hardware removal...?

[OakLeaf]

DH has a dental phobia. He found a dentist who will do his procedures under IV sedation. You might check around, just make sure to get someone with plenty of experience and certification in whatever anaesthesia they use. It does mean you need someone to take you to and from the appointment and stay with you for a few hours afterward.

I think a lot of people who didn't have "Marathon Man" experiences as children don't really understand dental phobia. I didn't, until I met DH - even though I have a phobia of falling, so I do understand the concept of a phobia, unsecured edges are something that I can avoid without too much trouble. Unfortunately, I've learned a lot of people did have those experiences, and it does stay with a person for life.



Anyway, /drift.

[smilingcat]

My father was an MD. And he always stressed do no harm first!!
Do only necessary surgeries not electives.
There are no such thing as a routine surgery.

He even said that back when, if a person wanted cosmetic surgery, the person who wanted the surgery would have to see a psychiatrist first.

He took a very grim view of too many surgeries. If you are not in any risk with the screws, leave it alone.

[molliewog]

I had 14 screws and a plate in my ankle. I had them removed 1 year after they were put in (the initial injury). Removal seemed pretty routine with my surgeon, especially in patients under 30 years of age. I'm VERY glad I had them removed. Despite being told the hardware shouldn't make a difference, I noticed a big difference in comfort and joint mobility after it was all removed. My surgeon opened up the initial scar on both sides of my leg. Granted, he had sewn up the incisions internally the first time, so the scars after the initial surgery were very tidy, just over a hairline in width.

I missed 3 days of work following the hardware removal surgery. Recovery wasn't bad at all. Sure, it took time for the incisions to heal (about 5 inches each side). I did have to be careful for 6 weeks, as I essentially had a broken leg given 14 screw holes.

Now, your injury and hardware is much different than mine, but I wanted to share my experience!

[OakLeaf]

FWIW, this is third hand, but a good friend of my father's who's been so helpful with all his surgeries, says that an anaesthesiologist friend of his says that on average, it takes a year for the brain to recover from each hour you're under anaesthesia.

Not necessarily something I'd undertake lightly. I think Smilingcat has it right. But if the hardware is causing you irritation or pain, then that's definitely a reason to have it out.

[jessmarimba]

I hate anesthesia. Really I do. It took months after a minor surgery a few years ago to be able to even run normally again.

But I am in agony today, something twinged last night on the side with the nerve pain when I was changing into pjs. I can't figure out what hurts or why it still hurts but I am so happy that my pilates class was cancelled. I haven't taken pain pills since 10 days after the accident and right now I want one.

I just wonder, what happens if I twinge that nerve 30 years from now, and the consequences are much worse? It's going to be a lot more difficult to remove this stuff then.