[Old Codger]

Hi, All,

I had the surgical to remove the titanium plate and screws that were on my cervical spine.

No idea what the “green murky stuff” is/was that came out of me, mentioned below. It was checked for "infection", and results came back negative for infection.

I went through a surgical operation on Wednesday, April 1 to remove the metal (“titanium alloy”) plate and screws that was on my spine from the fusion of my cervical spine back in July 1999. These plate and screws were colored with something that the surgeon told me later that he did not know what it was. Some amount of mesh was left behind; it was too embedded with the bone.

I based this removal on my good experience in having the metal removed after my BIG falling accident in 1981-1983... and the results from some recent metal allergy tests (patch and LTT). A particular symptom dissipated after the removal in 1983, that came only when the metal was put in.

To save me some time and effort, I will repeat what I and my wife wrote to friends. Actually, I still have trouble thinking about what happened.


This was the first time that my surgeon had removed any metal that he had implanted previously... in nineteen years. He said to me that he did not think that it was the metal that was causing me certain symptoms, but agreed to remove the metal based upon my prior experience in the 1980's.

I can talk about what happened to me now, somewhat. The just below is what Kate, my wife, wrote to my niece.

************************************************** ************
-----Original Message-----
From: Kate
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 7:29 PM
To: Michelle
Subject: George

Hi Michelle,

Hope all is well on your end.

Thought I would update you on our end.

George found out he was highly allergic to metals (chromium, cobalt & Nickel) a few months ago. He has had major health issues ever since he had a titanium plate put into his neck 15 years ago. He only found out about this metal allergy in January.

He had the same surgeon that put it in, take it out last Wednesday (April 1). BTW....his surgeon has 5,000 spinal/neck surgeries under his belt. He is the BEST!

Everything went great! 45 minute surgery......home that night. But.... when we got home..... George went down hill fast in the next 24 hours. The symptoms he was experiencing we thought were "normal".

To make a VERY long story short... Early Friday morning (April 3) I took him to our local hospital by the request of our St. Louis surgeon. After his CT scan, our St. Louis surgeon told the ER doctor to ambulance him to Barnes Hospital ASAP. 2 hours away!

He arrived at Barnes 6:30 PMish and was immediately prepped for surgery. His neck was extremely swollen and they suspected a hematoma. Around 10:30 PM, Friday night, I received a call (I was waiting in George's hospital room) from the surgeon that he was still in OR that they called a Thoracic Surgeon to look at him.

When they opened him up it was not a hematoma but green "murky" fluid that came out. They could not determine where this fluid was coming from, nor what it was, or where the leak was. At midnight they closed him up not finding out what caused this event. I was told if he hadn't gotten to Barnes Hospital, we would have lost him.

He was monitored and kept a close watch on in ICU until yesterday, Monday (three days). The cultures on the green fluid were negative for infection. He was moved to a regular room yesterday. I am hoping to bring him home tomorrow but he has some kind of "lump" he feels in the center of his chest that this Thoracic Surgeon has to check out before he is released.

Needless to say it has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and the worst part is nobody can do anything to help including me. Still, no answers what caused this life threatening event.

Just wanted to keep you in the loop. Hugs, Kate

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(By George...) At one point in the beginning in St. Louis, I was told that I had to have an air tube put down my throat, and that they needed me to be awake... only sedated a little bit. I had my hearing aids out, so I couldn't hear what was going on around me. Everyone had to get within twelve inches of my ears for me to hear them. I couldn't talk to them because my vocal cords were stopped by the swelling, and unbeknowst to me, the docs had given me a muscle paralyzer... I couldn't move a muscle. They did not want me to pull anything out.

When they were putting the tube down my throat, I had the weirdest hallucination... that everything and everyone (about eight people) were all trying to get down my throat at once. I thought that this was the end of my life. I went out very soon after this. I woke up with my hands, feet and body tied down.

Thankfully, the St. Louis team got to me in time!!!

By the time that I left the hospital the second time, the special itching on the back of my head, ceased itching, and now some seventeen days after the titanium plate and screws were taken out of me, a crazy four dozen or more "red bumps" have disappeared from my legs (ankles to about six inches above my knees). The bumps looked like those that are after a tick bite a week or so after removal. Nothing would faze them to get rid of them. I had them for a number of years. Too early to really tell what the removal may be helping, I know. But these good signs are encouraging.

Yes, I would have gone through with the removal knowing what happened, but I would have done some things differently... like staying in the hospital longer instead of going home so soon. Or, have the removal sooner. Or, not have a neck fusion/metal implant to begin with. There is another procedure, I’ve learned since having the fusion.

I really think that the human body does not like foreign material in them. At least, mine doesn't!!!

IMHO, at least for a certain percentage of folks, the medical community does NOT have all of the answers as to reactivity (allergy) to metals, even titanium, and other metals, used today for medical purposes.

Telling this in hopes that it will reach the set of ears that may need the information.
Wishing you wellness!!!
George -- Old Codger