Hardware failure from fusions

hi
I am on Pregalin(Lyrica), Voltarol(diclofenac), Setralin, Aspirin, Paracetamol, Hydroxyea(for blood cancer). I had to come off Arcoxia as it was thought to be putting my Potassium levels up. So the alternative was Diclof 50mg x2 these keep the worst of pain at bay. My Blood cancer consultant is noy happy that I am on this so am monitered. Just to say when I stopped taking these the pain came back with a vengeance, I couldn't walk every joint was on fire and I had severe bone pain. Its scary to think what all these meds are covering.

3 yrs ago i had ankle.fusion surgery , still have the titanium in because ankle broke opposite way . However my nerves stay tight and lately where screws are pain , can't wear tennis shoes because foot swell and nerves tighten , i toss and turn all night every night because the nerves in foot righht now . Can someone please give advice or help. Its tiring .

@teresakirkpatrick101 Hello and welcome to Connect. After 3 years, I would think that your bone should be fused, but that would be a question for your surgeon and if the hardware is causing pain, and could it be removed. I used to have swelling for a few years after the ankle fracture, but now, I don't think it happens unless I stress my ankle a lot. It's been 5 years for me. Sometimes things just take a long time to heal.

Hello @teresakirkpatrick101,

I have had many surgeries on my joints, including a total knee replacement, rotator repair and an ankle fusion. Of all of those, the ankle fusion was the most grueling and time-intensive surgery. It took a long time and the pain was definitely the worst. I am at 10 years with my ankle fusion. I would say it took mine about 18 months to truly get "better" and I did not start feeling my true 'new normal' until around two years.

Have you had follow-ups with your surgeon or care team? I still have the screws in my ankle and I know if I bump the area where you can visibly see the screw head, it is extremely painful for a brief moment. My foot will still swell after a long day of being on it because we don't move our foot in the same way to flush fluids out as well. Surgeries are complex and sometimes the recovery even more so. Have you been able to share your experiences with your care team and what suggestions or possible causes have they offered?

Screws can migrate. Some have the screws removed. From the good voices of experienceabove, see the surgeon.

I had bunion surgery this February where my surgeon had to put in a screw. It burns all the time. I'm having midfoot fusion surgery on left foot this month and during that surgery he will take out the screw on the other foot where I had the bunion surgery. He said it shouldn't burn and I'm healed enough to take out the screw. I'm getting plates and screws for the fusion surgery. I'm worried the same thing will happen with burning pain. Before surgery, I'm asking him if the plates and screws are permanent or can they be removed if they bother me after everything is healed.

I had my left sacroiliac joint fused on 2-20-17 and it's been a nightmare ever since. The surgeon, who was extremely arrogant and rude, said I didn't know what I was talking about and the pain was from my lumbar spine. So on 10-10-16 he fused my L4-L5-S1. He did a discogram prior to the lumbar surgery and the L3 was also herniated but for some reason he chose not to include that one in the fusion when he had me opened up. So after that lumbar surgery, my sacroiliac joint pain got 10 times worse and I developed dead foot. I couldn't lift or move my foot and had to use a walker. Once he realized the mistake, he actually admitted that he was wrong and I was right and scheduled the SI joint surgery just 4 months later before I even healed from the lumbar fusion. So he did the SI joint fusion and used a now discontinued surgical kit that used screws made from frozen tibia and fibulas from human cadavers. Well the screws dissolved before my SI joint fully fused and now I'm dealing with more issues and pain than I had before the surgery

tgreer1972, you're in a nightmare and I'm so sorry. Will you find someone to do revision surgery. Will or has this surgeon been made to compensate financially. You've been living this for ten years? Are you given any palliative relief.
I'm curious about how you discovered the discontinued surgical kit with used screws, but this might not be your favorite subject.
Thank you for your post.

@tgreer1972 I’m surprised you didn’t and have not sued the surgeon yet. Plus you let him operate again, WOW! Certainly a raw deal for you. Have you gotten a second opinion yet?

The statue of limitations for malpractice is 3 years. I didn't start having this horrible pain til this last winter cuz of how cold it was. I tried to get another surgeon to do the SI fusion after he fused my lumbar but because he messed up already, no other surgeon would touch me in case that surgery failed. They wouldn't risk getting sued for his mistake. It was a messed up situation. I have a new neurosurgeon now and I need 2 surgeries now that he's trying to talk me into but I'm too reluctant now. Luckily I have a very high tolerance for pain living with this disease for the last 20 years