Hi @don34, Welcome to Connect. My wife has a plate and screws in her ankle and wrist from two different falls. At one point she asked the surgeon about removing the hardware from her ankle but since she wasn't having any problems the surgeon suggested leaving it in because there is always risk with any surgery and a possibility to make things worse. I think it is a great discussion to have with your surgeon and learn what they feel may be the associated risks and benefits.

Here's some information I found on the topic that may be helpful -- Removing Pins and Other Implants After Surgery: https://www.verywellhealth.com/removing-metal-plates-screws-rods-after-surgery-2549320

I think you have some very good questions to ask the surgeon. I've found that it is really helpful for me to put together a list of questions I have and take them to my appointment with me so I don't forget to ask. If you haven't done this before, you might find this site helpful for formulating questions - https://patientrevolution.org/visit-tools.

Do you have an appointment with the surgeon setup yet to discussion your questions?