I'm in a tizzy. I just found out that a rod used to fuse my spine for scoliosis when I was a teenager is broken. What will happen? Will I need more surgery?

Your surgeon is the best one to advise you. Obviously you have had some imaging studies done (such as an X-ray) to know about the rod breakage.

Implant damage does not always mean revision surgery is needed. The surgeon will review your symptoms and function along with measurements taken from the X-rays. If the spine has remained stable, then no further surgery may be needed.

Many spinal fusion operations for scoliosis involve a large number of vertebral bones. In fact, according to a recent study at the Children's Hospital in Boston, an average of seven segments are fused this way.

If the bones have fused well and there's no problem with the fractured rod, then the treatment may be just careful watching. If the spine has continued to progress and the scoliosis is getting worse, then a second surgery may be needed.

If the rod is pressing on a nerve or the spinal cord, then serious neurologic problems can develop. In such a case, the rod would be removed. Many times, implant fracture occurs but the instrumentation does not move or shift. It can be left alone.