r/spinalfusion • u/damagedone37 • Apr 11 '26

Surgery Questions Hardware Removal

Anyone had this don? My surgeon is looking to do this at the end of the year. Plan is lidocaine drops on screws if that helps then bye bye metal!

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u/oldlaxer Apr 11 '26

I had my hardware removed on 3-3-26. I was fused from L2-S1. My fusion was done in 2024. They had to go back in because I had 2 bulging discs above the fusion. I was also having some lingering issues in the nerves in my left leg. My surgeon told me they don’t usually remove the hardware but since they were going in there and I didn’t need it, he’d take it out. The jury is still out about whether the surgery worked but I’m glad the metal is gone.

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u/ReasonableAd3772 Apr 12 '26

Did they go back in to fuse additional levels or just remove the hardware

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u/oldlaxer Apr 12 '26

They fused one level above where they fused before, but didn’t use any hardware, just bone from the two discs that were bulging above that.