Hardware Removal 101, or Taking It All Out!

On October 18th, 2011 I had my plate and 5 screws taken out.

Here are some thoughts on that.

October 21, 2011

Thought I would tell you all about my hardware removal (3 days ago) in case you are interested!

I checked into the hospital at 7 am. It was deja vu! At least this time I ~walked~ down the hallway into pre-op! I was scheduled to go off at 9 a.m. but I was delayed until 9:20 a.m. The procedure was supposed to be 65 minutes, but Al said the doc was done with my after 45 minutes! Guess that is good in the fact that the metal came out easy.

I was in recovery for about an hour. When I woke up from the anesthesia I had no idea where I was or why I was there. What a weird feeling! So I was on my way home around noon. They didn't give me any crutches but I was wheeled out in a wheelchair. They put a lot of bandages around my leg and told me to leave them on until my post op visit (next week). So, I don't even know what my leg looks like. I do know that I can't have a shower for a week, but at least I can give myself a sponge bath this time while standing on my own two feet!

My pain level was a little high when I was first home. I was more concerned that I couldn't hardly bend my leg. My OS told me to try to bend it as much as possible without going overboard. It felt really tight when I tried to bend it the first day. It was awful to walk peg-legged again!

After 24 hours my leg hurt more than the first day. It felt like it was bruised and sore. Nothing that the Vicodin couldn't handle, though. I was getting by one crutch, but found by mid-day that it was much easier to get around without it.

My OS told me I could do some light pedaling on the stationary bike. I couldn't hardly make it around the first time because my leg was so tight, but after the first round it came much easier and really made my leg feel better. I am no hero about forgoing pain meds, but really after yesterday I wasn't in much pain at all so I quit taking them.

I am wobbly with my walking and haven't ventured outside the house. It is easy to stand and put weight on it, though. I can't tell how much swelling I have because of the big wrappings on the leg.

My biggest issue is that I have caught a cold and have spells of coughing and a runny nose. I haven't had a cold for years, and couldn't have picked a worse time to get one! All and all this procedure was nothing like the original one. It really makes me appreciate how much we all go through with our original surgeries.

I'll send you all an update after I see my OS next Wednesday and I'm able to see how bad my "new" scar looks!


October 27, 2011
Today (October 26, 2011) I went for my follow up and to have my stitches taken out. I should say "to get my ~stitch~ out. They finally removed my mummy wrap of bandages and I was very surprised to see no staples, like I had on the first go around. Instead, my OS told me she did a "cosmetic" stitch, which is one long stitch (sort of like a corkscrew) where they tuck the old scar down into the fresh scar. I don't think I'm doing a good job of explaining this, but she said it will make a really better looking scar once it's healed.

I noticed my scar is now bigger than the first time. She said because the bottom anchor screw (the one that holds the bottom of the plate flush) was difficult to get out. The top 4 screws (the big ones) came out very easily, she said.

Well, on the whole it looks pretty good. I can now feel the metal being gone. I do have some swelling near the incision, but when that subsides I won't see the bulky bulge where I had the plate. I did have some bruising along the medial side of the shin (I don't want to know how that happened).

After one week, my leg feels pretty darn good. I don't have complete ROM as before, but think that will come when the swelling subsides. I'm really happy that the pain of this was much less that I anticipated. Maybe after having it put in, nothing can compare, pain wise! I can walk almost normal, although I haven't tried walking any long distance yet. I can stand on it pretty much as before. Best yet, that "rubber band" feeling in the knee is gone. My knee feels "free" if that can be a word to describe it.

I'm really happy with my HRW removal and if your doctor says, "yes", hey I say, "go for it".

November 2, 2011

Here's my two week update for my HWR on October 18, 2011

It's been two weeks since the surgery and one week since I got the stitches out. The leg feels really good overall. I have a lot of bruising around the incision site. It doesn't look very pretty, but it is getting better. I still have quite a bit of bruising on the medial shin, although it is already yellow and fading. I still have a fair amount of swelling at the incision site, which I suppose would be normal. So, between the bruising and swelling it's not very pretty.

I am pretty much doing everything as before, with the exception of long walks. I think when the swelling and bruising goes down walking longer distances will be easier. I also walk a little bit slower than before. The ROM is almost 80+% of what it was before. I'm sure if I wanted to push it I could get more ROM, but I am not eager to test the stitches to the limit. I'm sure when the swelling goes down the ROM will come back.

As far as pain, I get some minor throbbing at night, but nothing too bad. Like I said, I am a big baby with pain and this procedure was much less than painful that I expected.

Another odd thing, my original scar was on the side of my left leg, and the removal scar is more about halfway between the old scar and the kneecap. And it is bigger than the original scar, but my OS told me that ahead of time.

It's a great feeling not to have that bulky plate in. It feels like taking off shoes in the evening and letting your toes wiggle around! Free!

November 17, 2011

I hit the 4 week mark yesterday and the leg is feeling really good. The bruises are still there, but the swelling has gone down a lot. I was surprised how much I bruised--maybe my OS didn't have a light touch!

I had to wear my bandages (size of King Kong, too) for a week. I was a bit disturbing to have it taken off, since there was a lot of dried blood on the wrapping. And the scar was (and still is) rather ugly to see, especially since the original scar was just a thin white line when I went in to the HWR removed!

Take it easy for a few weeks. Although you feel good your body has had another major trauma and needs to time to heal.

December 25, 2011

I had this exact same question after my removal and my OS told me to bend and stretch it but do so within reason. So no deep knee bends for awhile (hahaha). Actually just doing some light pedaling around my little exercise bike really, really felt good. I had a LOT of swelling so I knew from last time that I wouldn't get too distressed if my ROM wasn't up to the old standard. Sure enough, when the swelling went down, the ROM returned. My advice to you is not to worry too much about the ROM; it will come back. Concentrate on your healing.

BTW, my husband keloids really bad and I don't think there is much you can do about that. He is very self conscious about past scars and in time they will fade. I don't keloid and my scar still looks kinda bad, and it's been 3 months. The scar from the HWR, is much bigger than the original surgery but I'm hoping with time it will improve.

January 14, 2012

If I had any advice for you it is for you to take it easy and expect some pain. Some of the posts suggest it is a "walk in the park" but that wasn't my experience. Yes, you will walk out. Yes, you will notice rapid improvement. Keep up on the pain meds as you need them and don't overdo for a few weeks. It still is a major deal opening you up and taking out the metal.

January 28, 2012

yes, my original scar was used as the starting point for my removal work. Unfortunately for me, they had trouble getting the bottom screw out (the anchor for the bottom of the plate) and had to cut me longer than the original scar. So, my original TPF scar was maybe 4 inches, and the HWR scar is about 6. My OS did what she called a "cosmetic cut", which I believe was where the original scar was tucked inside the new scar. Also, my TPF scar was very much on the lateral (left) side, while the HWR scar is more right, or towards the knee cap. Not to worry, though when you see how wonderful it is to have the metal gone!

Three Month Hardware Removal Update

It's been 3 months already since my hardware removal. Things have really gone very well. The leg feels really good. I feel confident that I can push the leg harder now. Walking is easy, as is going up and down the stairs. My scar is still ugly, but is looking better. When I stand up on the leg for long periods the leg feels like it is still swelling, especially on the laterial side where the hardware was. The brusing is now gone, although it took a good six weeks to go away.

I have to recommend removal, if that is a option for you. I was thankful that my doctor was very willing to remove it. She told me it was my decision. She said the hardware served it's purpose and wasn't necessary for the intregity of the leg.

The whole broken leg road isn't an easy one to travel, but having the hardware out feels like the end of the journey is at hand.

Hardware Removal Two Week Update

Here's my two week update for my HWR on October 18, 2011

It's been two weeks since the surgery and one week since I got the stitches out. The leg feels really good overall. I have a lot of bruising around the incision site. It doesn't look very pretty, but it is getting better. I still have quite a bit of bruising on the medial shin, although it is already yellow and fading. I still have a fair amount of swelling at the incision site, which I suppose would be normal. So, between the bruising and swelling it's not very pretty.

I am pretty much doing everything as before, with the exception of long walks. I think when the swelling and bruising goes down walking longer distances will be easier. I also walk a little bit slower than before. The ROM is almost 80+% of what it was before. I'm sure if I wanted to push it I could get more ROM, but I am not eager to test the stitches to the limit. I'm sure when the swelling goes down the ROM will come back.

As far as pain, I get some minor throbbing at night, but nothing too bad. Like I said, I am a big baby with pain and this procedure was much less than painful that I expected.

Another odd thing, my original scar was on the side of my left leg, and the removal scar is more about halfway between the old scar and the kneecap. And it is bigger than the original scar, but my OS told me that ahead of time.

It's a great feeling not to have that bulky plate in. It feels like taking off shoes in the evening and letting your toes wiggle around! Free!

6 Days Post Hardware Removal Surgery

Sorry, I haven't been by to blog. I caught a nasty, nasty, cold and haven't been able to even think about how my knee is coming along between the coughing, sneezing, sniffles, etc. It's been a long time since I've had a cold and this one hit me hard!

Wish I could recover here!

I am able to walk pretty well, but I can feel the tightness of the stitches pull at times. I haven't taken any pain killers since day 2. I can only assume it is healing well on it's own.
I haven't taken any of the bandages off to see how it looks but I will see it in two days when I go to get the stitches out. I know I sure miss a shower! I'm looking forward to that, for sure.

Hardware Removal, October 20, 2011

It's been 48 hours since my surgery. I had a lot of pain yesterday, but the Vicodin kept it under control. I was so tired I went to bed at 7:30 p.m. and slept for almost 12 hours. It must have done me a lot of good because my leg pain was noticeable better today.

Dr. R told me to try to do a little light exercises on the stationary bike so I did a little yesterday. It was tough just to make one rotation. It felt like the stitching would pull and tear, but after the first rotation, all was well. I went very easy and very slow.

Today, I've not used any painkillers, that how well the pain is. And I'm a big baby with pain and a gal with a whole bottle of Vicodin so I am very please how well this is coming along.

My biggest complaint is that my throat is really, really sore. I'm not sure if I am coming down with a cold or if it is from the tube going down my throat. My stomach also doesn't feel well either. As typical of Vicodin users, I have constipation and have been diligent about using Plum Smart with no luck. Guess that is the price you pay for pain relief.

I finally got to see and touch one of my screws that Dr. R. saved for me. They are thinner than I expected, but boy are they long! I can't imagine how big that plate must have been.

I am walking without the crutches now, although very slowly. It doesn't hurt to walk, only the range of motion is low because of the bandages, and of course, the stitches.

If I didn't have these cold symptoms, I would be feeling pretty darn good.

Hardware Removal--Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Seventeen months ago I knew that I wanted my hardware out, if possible. Just having it, knowing it is there, was something I wanted to fix.

My big date was October 18th. I was to report to Kaiser at 7 a.m. I was scheduled to go off at 9 a.m. Well, nothing ever goes on time, but they wheeled me in at 9:20 p.m. The surgery was supposed to go on 65 minutes, which to me seemed pretty fast. But I digress.

Al tells me that Dr. R came out to talk to him about 50 minutes after I went off, which means it must have been an easy time of it. My first memory after the surgery was the time, since they have clocks everwhere. It was 10:50 a.m. and I sure was feeling groggy. So tired and so disoriented. I had no clue where I was when I woke. I thought maybe I was on the airplane, or maybe still in Argentina. I was hoping they would let me go back to sleep but they told me I would be going home in less than an hour. Are you kidding? Where was I again?

Alfred came by to see me early in the recovery and then came back maybe 40 minutes later. I'm happy to report that Al said I looked way, way better in just that short time.

I got home fine and pulled out my crutches from the garage. I tried using two of them, but found that one crutch worked better for me. My pain level wasn't bad at all, but of course, I was on the Vicodin. They bandaged my leg up pretty well so I am not able to see how bad the incision is. Dr. R was able to give me one piece of my hardware as a souvenir. At Kaiser they normally don't do that, and I was very curious to see how it looks. I'll post a photo soon.

Now it is almost 24 hours after and my leg is much more sore today. With the bandages, I can't tell if it is swollen, but my guess is that it is. I've been using ice to keep it down, as well as keeping my leg elevated. I decided to try without the Vicodin this a.m. just to get an accurate assessment of my pain. It hurt indeed! Time for the Vicodin again. The leg feels sort of battered and I can feel tugging of the incision. I can bear weight on it, but can't really bend it with any weight on it.

We're really early in the game, so far so good!

One Year Update

Well, today, one year ago, was the day I broke my tibial plateau. Like all of us, it was a day that I’ll never forget. I’m usually a very positive person but I have to say this was a very humbling experience. I wouldn’t wish it on any one. I was so naïve about what this entailed when I got my diagnosis. I truly thought that after the bone healed I would be fine and go back to life as normal. When I began weight bearing my leg was like a toothpick. My good leg was almost 3 times the size the bad one.

Looking back it seems like I remember every milestone, every setback, and I always celebrated the smallest of successes. I vividly remember walking to the mailbox (maybe 25 feet round trip) and feeling like I had accomplished a remarkable feat, which it was at the time. All through this ordeal I was lucky to have my dear husband Al with me every step of the way, literally. He went to every appointment with me, waited on me, encouraged me to press on and never seemed to tire about hearing how my leg was doing that moment. I’m sure he never thought his retirement would start like this!

So let me update you all on how I’m doing at one year!

Pros
Walking is very good, most of the time. I can do up to 5 miles a day, broken up into segments. Not all at once. I especially like to walk uphill. I think it builds up those quads and strong quads make the leg feel more stable and strong. I do get an occasional bout of swelling that puts a damper on the walking. Then it is back to ice and ibuprofen.
ROM is pretty good. Not as much as the good leg, for sure, but good enough for me. Pain is pretty much non-existent most of the time. I do get the odd aches, throbbing, and twinges. I’m thinking my muscle strength hasn’t totally come back yet.

Cons
Going down stairs is still awkward. Even when I try really had, I look like a dork. Going up is no problem. I still hold on to the rain going down, or try to use the elevator.
My plate makes my leg look lumpy. Not that I’m vain, but my OS said that it is a bit too big for my small bones. The good news is that she told me I can have my hardware removed anytime. I have some big vacations coming up and wanted to do that before my removal, so it looks like November/December is when I’ll have it done. I’m thinking that HW removal will bring me a lot of closure and I’m looking forward to getting that done.

Yes, it’s been a long, long road. But, of course, looking back, it seems to have gone by fast. If you are just starting out, just remember, it does get better. Read up on everything related to your knee. Become knowledgeable about your condition and your OS will tell you things and you will understand what they are talking about. Remember, life eventually returns to a comfortable routine. Best of luck to all of you!