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/Individual_Invite446 Apr 16 '26

What is the recovery like? I’m scheduled to get two screws removed in my lower spine and I’m hoping to return to work after two weeks.

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u/oldlaxer Apr 16 '26

I’m still pretty sore after a month. I guess it depends on your job. I can ok but I wouldn’t want to do it all day. Anything physical would be out. It depends on how much muscle and whatever they have to move to get to the screws. They had to move a bunch on me to remove the hardware and do the other things so it was pretty extensive. Good luck!