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It's not difficult to remove hardware. The surgeon goes through the same incision, backs out the screws and lifts off the plate. It's always best to go back to the same surgeon who put it in if possible. Most surgeons won't remove hardware unless its been at least 6 months since placement and some wait a year.
It's not difficult to remove hardware. The surgeon goes through the same incision, backs out the screws and lifts off the plate. It's always best to go back to the same surgeon who put it in if possible. Most surgeons won't remove hardware unless its been at least 6 months since placement and some wait a year.
Yeah, I know it's not difficult to actually get it removed, but I mean will I have trouble finding a doctor who is willing to do it? Do I need to be able pay for the whole bill upfront and such?
You should try and go back to the doctor who put it in, in the first place. Plates inserted to support broken bones and promote repair, are generally considered temporary and part of the prodedure involves removal after a period of time. Insurance should cover it, to the same extent as it covered the insertion. Sort of like if you have a bad infection that requires inserting a drainage tube under the skin, insurance will also cover removal of that tube, once the infection subsides.
Your insurance policy might vary in terms of percentages or dollar amounts, but you have to check with your own policy for that, or call your insurance company.
As long as your clavical has had enough time to completely heal, and x-rays show no weakness around the fracture (which is usually between 6 months and a year, total), AND as long as there aren't any other medically necessary reasons to leave it in, there's no reason why a doctor would insist that the plate remain.
You should try and go back to the doctor who put it in, in the first place. Plates inserted to support broken bones and promote repair, are generally considered temporary and part of the prodedure involves removal after a period of time. Insurance should cover it, to the same extent as it covered the insertion. Sort of like if you have a bad infection that requires inserting a drainage tube under the skin, insurance will also cover removal of that tube, once the infection subsides.
Your insurance policy might vary in terms of percentages or dollar amounts, but you have to check with your own policy for that, or call your insurance company.
As long as your clavical has had enough time to completely heal, and x-rays show no weakness around the fracture (which is usually between 6 months and a year, total), AND as long as there aren't any other medically necessary reasons to leave it in, there's no reason why a doctor would insist that the plate remain.
Not true.
Internal fixation for fracture repair is not considered "temporary"
The vast majority of hardware placed for fracture fixation never has to be removed. Hardware is typically only removed if the patient is having complaints referable to the hardware. It isn't even remotely similar to a drain tube.
Yeah, I know it's not difficult to actually get it removed, but I mean will I have trouble finding a doctor who is willing to do it? Do I need to be able pay for the whole bill upfront and such?
If you absolutely can't go back to the surgeon who put the plate in you should be able to find an Orthopaedic Surgeon willing to remove it if they agree it is safe to do so. You will need to find a surgeon who typically does this type of surgery as not all Orthopods do clavicles, typically done by shoulder specialists.
As for payment, if you have insurance there is no reason it shouldn't be billed the same way any other surgery or visit is with copays and deductibles dependent on your coverage.
I have had a plate and screws in my left ankle for the past 6 years. I was told it isn't necessary to take the hardware out unless it's giving me problems.
I have had a plate and screws in my left ankle for the past 6 years. I was told it isn't necessary to take the hardware out unless it's giving me problems.
Well that kind of goes without saying. The point being, it CAN be removed, once the repair is complete. Plates aren't meant to replace bone, or permanently support it. It's put in there, and if/when there's a problem, then it's OKAY to remove it. The plate wouldn't need to be replaced with another plate, if the repair occurred successfully.
Sorry, I wasn't clear about that in my previous post. That's what I meant by temporary, and why I said there's no reason why it needs to be left in. It doesn't "need" to be left in, once your bone is healed. It *can* be left in. And sure, many people have plates for years and years, and maybe even some have them for a lifetime. But their existence isn't permanently necessary.
I assumed the OP was interested in having the plate removed, because it was giving him problems. I can't imagine why else anyone would -want- surgery to remove a plate. I had the plates in my arm removed after a few years, because the screws were irritating the inside of my skin (radius and ulna plates - very very close to the surface). I had the steel rod yanked out of my femur because it started slipping around a year and a few months after it had been inserted. I was told then that the plates, and the rod, were not intended to be permanent. The context was my concern that they were slipping/irritating and might have to be removed. In that context - no, they're not intended to be permanent. They CAN be. But they don't HAVE to be.
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Insurance companies are a lot more picky about what they pay for these days. I had a clean break on my arm and a couple of years later the plate started to bother me, and the insurance paid for it to be removed. Without any problem it would have been considered
elective, like cosmetic surgery, and not be covered.
Insurance should cover it, to the same extent as it covered the insertion.
I didn't have insurance during the insertion. That's why I'm worried I won't be able to get it removed. Because I've heard insurance companies not covering for pre-existing conditions.
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