I have not had the broken hardware in my spine but the procedure I had done was through my belly. The healing time as far as surgical site pain is over much more quickly and a ton less bloody when done through the abdomen. I lost less then 2 ounces of blood and also there is much less tramua to the nerve tissue in the back because the spine in your back is totally surrounded by muscle tissue.

I would not hesitate to have another surgery in the anterior approach.