Back Pain Forum - Removing rods and screws after back surgery

Conditions and Diseases > Back Pain Forum > Removing rods and screws after back surgery

What structures make up the spine? We review basic spine anatomy here...before identifying potential causes of back pain....

Q: Removing rods and screws after back surgery

asked by: DoctorQuestion on April 11th, 2008

At recent visit, doctor reveiwed new MRI and stated that the rods (2) and screws (6) were only inserted as a temporary stabilizer and the FDA recommends removal after about 12 months. This was never mentioned pre-op and need to know if this is normal procedure.

Replies(2)

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD

replied on April 14th, 2008

Back Pain Answer A3933

Yes, removing rods and screws after back surgery is a normal procedure. Rods and screws are foreign bodies that can provoke an inflammatory reaction, and that’s why they require removal after a period of time.

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