Metal Plate In My Head

[HarryHacker]

Good thing you're not taking the boat. If it sinks, you'll find yourself floating upside down in your life-jacket. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

......nice one!

[Bizz]

The Times (London) August 25, 2004, Wednesday

THREE MILLION OF US HAVE METAL IMPLANTS INSIDE US BUT THAT COULD NOW CHANGE, SAYS ELIZABETH MISTRY EVERYONE IS familiar with the elaborate procedure of emptying pockets for detectors at airport security barriers, but there is one group for whom "placing their items in the tray" is a particular struggle: those who carry metal inside their body. Department of Health estimates suggest that more than three million Britons have an implant which may contain metal. Fortunately, advances in recent years, such as the use of titanium to make plates and screws, mean that the likelihood of setting off alarms has decreased considerably. But plates, which provide stability while bones fuse after breaks, have other drawbacks. They may need to be removed, because they have served their purpose, or because a screw has come lose, posing a risk to another part of the body. A second operation can be stressful as the patient recalls the original intervention -and also increases costs. Now there is an alternative to metal. In recent months, surgeons have begun to offer patients biodegradable, or bioresorbable, plates, made from co polymers. Biodegradable plates, which at present are available at only a few hospitals for a limited range of procedures such as hand, ankle and dental repair, do the same job of encouraging bone growth as their metal equivalents but, after a certain period of time, begin to dissolve harmlessly within the body. Flexible "co-polymer plate technology" was launched in the UK six months ago by a Finnish company, Inion, whose devices have been fitted in around 1,000 patients at 15 NHS and private hospitals in England and Scotland. In one landmark operation, the plates were used to reconstruct the skull of a two-week-old baby suffering from Apert's syndrome -in which the skull is insufficiently developed -and where, because of the age of the patient, a metal plate would have be inappropriate. Inion's plates vary in size and look like pieces of Meccano with small holes at regular intervals. The co-polymers are composed of trimethylenecarbonate and lactide, a substance that is produced naturally in the body during exercise. Unlike titanium, the plates have the advantage that they can be shaped to the patient's particular requirements. Depending on the circumstances, the material retains its strength for about 12 weeks and then weakens over the next three months. This allows the repaired bone to become used to load-bearing gradually, rather than having to adjust immediately, as is the case if a metal plate is removed. Auvo Kakkinen, a former orthopaedic surgeon and director of Inion, explains: "Typically the material will break down over the next 18-24 months. The process is harmless and the resulting energy is absorbed into the body's cells." Keith Altman, a specialist at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust who uses Inion's devices for maxillofacial surgery, says that when offered the choice between a metal and a biodegradable plate, 100 per cent of patients choose the latter. Using material that disintegrates in the body is nothing new -Roman gladiators were frequently stitched up with catgut -but metal is still used in

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Page 2 Times Newspapers Limited, August 25, 2004 95 per cent of procedures in the UK. While biodegradable devices offer a range of advantages - as well as convenience and cost savings, they do not affect X-rays or MRI scans, and there is also a comfort factor as metal can get very cold at low temperatures -they are not suitable for all procedures. They assist in reconstruction rather than replacement, and are not appropriate for hip replacements, for example. David Adams, the chief executive of the British Orthopaedic Association, says that the BOA does not have a position on the use of biodegradable devices. Inion plans to offer an extended range of plates -which cost about 20 per cent more than the titanium equivalents -suitable for cervical and lumbar surgery next year. The company is hoping that its early successes will win over the large constituency of orthopaedic surgeons who are cautious about the use of the material, a view summed up by one specialist at a leading London hospital who said she would prefer to wait until more studies -there are currently several under way -on the long term use of the devices become available. LOAD-DATE: August 25, 2004

HE -HE HE

[dereklev]

Any one else heard the rumour that Jefferey is planning to stop off at tonights party on his way to Pattaya?

He will never leave Soi 4....

He will move into the Nana Hotel, spend his days in the bars and his nights trawling in the car park!

[Bizz]

Airport metal detectors are quite sensitive to metals, this includes metal implants that may have been placed inside your body.

Belt buckles, key chains, and steel toed shoes may set off these sensitive metal detectors. Many commonly used orthopedic implants may also set off the metal detectors.

The most commonly implanted orthopedic materials include stainless steel, cobalt chrome, and titanium. Different types of metal detectors work in different ways, but the newer airport screening detectors will identify patients with these metal implants.

Obviously, there is nothing you can do to change this. If you have a hip replacement, knee replacement, a metal plate and screws, a metal rod inside your bone, or one of many other type of orthopedic implants, you too may set off the airport metal detector. We used to give patients a card to carry to inform the security staff of your implanted device, however, there is no need to continue to use these cards.

Whether or not you have a card to alert the security personnel, they will have you step aside for further screening. To help you on your way, wear clothes that allow you to easily reveal your surgical scar (such as sweat pants, short sleeve shirts, etc.). Alert the security staff that you have a metal implant, and let them know where it is in your body. You will likely be screened with a metal detecting wand, but security sees many patients with these types of implants, and you shouldn't be delayed.

Women with underwire bras also have problems at Airports

Edited July 29, 2005 by Bizz

[Bizz]

Transportation Security Administration officers check travelers at Metro Detroit Airport. An aging boomer population will increase the incidents of screening people with medical issues.

Airport Security

Implants challenge screeners

Federal agency tries to tailor procedures for those with medical devices, prosthetics.

By Barbara De Lollis / USA TODAY

Moving through security discreetly

Tips from the TSA for people with pacemakers, defibrillators and other devices and metal implants:

• If you have a device or implant that you want to keep private, ask the screener for discretion during the screening process. You can request a private screening.

• It is recommended, but not required, that you tell the screener that you have an implanted device and where it is located.

• You can show the screener your device identification card if you have one, but it is not required.

• Ask for a pat-down inspection rather than walking through the metal detector or being searched with a hand wand.

• If you have an implanted bone growth stimulator or other device that operates under a specific magnetic calibration, and an X-ray could disrupt its calibration, you can request a pat-down exam.

• Screeners will need to resolve all alarms associated with metal implants. Most alarms can be resolved during a pat-down inspection and should not require the lifting or removal of clothing.

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As the number of people with heart devices and artificial joints and bones grows, so will the number of airline passengers who receive lengthier security exams.

There are no estimates on the number of people with implants passing through checkpoints, but the Transportation Security Administration expects more as the huge baby boomer population ages. The orthopedic implant market, for instance, is already growing at twice the annual rate of five years ago, says Stryker, an orthopedic implant manufacturer. Much of the growth is driven by people ages 50-65, who want to ease their pain or return to active lifestyles.

"They're getting older, and they're getting new parts in their bodies," says Sandra Cammaroto, who oversees screening procedures of people with disabilities for the TSA. The TSA is trying to improve its screening of passengers with implants.

Implants come in two groups: pacemakers and defibrillators -- life-saving devices that regulate heartbeats -- and orthopedic implants, such as hips and knees.

Last week, the TSA finished filming an instructional video that teaches screeners how to pat down passengers with newly implanted heart devices without hurting them, Cammaroto says. She received at least two letters from people complaining that screeners hurt them by pressing too hard on their surgical area, she says. The area just below the collarbone can feel sore for weeks after surgery.

"The last thing we want to do in the process is cause this person more pain," Cammaroto says. The video instructs screeners to pat surgical areas lightly and avoid moving clothing, since it won't reveal anything anyway, she says.

Doctors and surgeons say patients often will ask what they can expect at airport checkpoints.

"They just want to know if they're going to ring the alarm," says Earnest "Chappie" Conrad, an orthopedic surgeon in Seattle.

Arriving at a checkpoint with an implant or device means a good chance of spending more time there than a companion. Secondary screenings can take three to five minutes, vs. less than a minute for an uneventful step through the gate, according to the TSA. Searches for those with medical conditions or disabilities often take even longer, Cammaroto says.

Frequent flier and Conrad patient Jim Shepherd, 49, used to breeze through the gate when flying for his job each week. An engineer for woodworking machinery manufacturer Weinig Group, Shepherd memorized the TSA do's and don'ts: no shoes, gum wrappers, coins or metal belt buckles.

But his life changed last year when he broke his right arm, revealing cancer. Conrad did the surgery and gave Shepherd a titanium replacement bone. Shepherd says he now trips the alarm and undergoes secondary searches on most flights. "If you've got an implant big enough to set off the alarms, you're probably used to adversity, so live with it," he says.

Some patients worry about the unwanted public attention. "You're singled out in the crowd," says Blake Hunter, 36, a Canadian who founded the Pacemaker Club. "Most people would rather walk normally through the checkpoint."

People with devices often visit his club's Web site, www.pacemakerclub.com, to complain about airport searches, he says. "For people who are new to it, I can see it being quite a stressful event."

Checkpoint experiences can vary depending on implant type, TSA staffing levels, the individual screener and a traveler's readiness. The TSA recommends that patients bring medical cards that identify their implant, although many patients say that the card makes no difference in their exam.

What to expect if you have:

• Pacemakers or defibrillators: Many people with these devices follow doctor's or manufacturer's advice to avoid metal detectors and hand wands and request a hand search. Some doctors say there's a remote risk that electromagnetic interference can cause a device to malfunction. A pacemaker could reset or a defibrillator could deliver a painful shock. The TSA knows of no such incident.

Jeffrey Olgin, chief of cardiac electrophysiology at the University of California-San Francisco who specializes in abnormal heart rhythms, tells patients that walking through a metal detector normally should cause no problem. "They don't want to stop in the middle of (the detector) or lean up against it."

Manufacturer Guidant recommends a hand search but says that if a screener uses a handheld wand, ask him or her not to hold it near the device "any longer than is absolutely necessary."

Screeners are trained to be discreet when a passenger tells them that they have a device.

San Francisco stockbroker Paul Ruby, 66, who received a pacemaker almost four years ago, doesn't mind saying "pacemaker" when it's his turn. He requests a pat-down and considers the extra hassle a small trade-off.

"The gadget's wonderful," Ruby says. "You've got to live with them. You wouldn't live without them."

• Hips, knees and other metal implants: Metal implants often trip alarms, making further examination mandatory. The TSA won't let patients go, even if they have a medical card identifying an implant. "When they alarm, we will have to resolve that alarm just like all other alarms," Cammaroto says.

People with hips, knees or rods in their backs have different experiences.

Bob Henderson, a law firm consultant based in Jackson Hole, Wyo., says that he triggers alarms only 10 percent of the time despite metal rods and screws in his back, knee and hand.

[RDN]

Common stainless steels are 'austenitic' - these have a higher chromium content and nickel is also added. It is the nickel which modifies the physical structure of the steel and makes it non-magnetic.

A basic stainless steel has a 'ferritic' structure and is magnetic. Most high grade SS, medical or aircraft will not be magnetic.

We use a magnet to check material if there is a question.

Try it. You will be surprised.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry RDN but he's right.

Quality stainless is not magnetic

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, you learn something new every day! I just did a Google on austenitic stainless steel and magnetism - very interesting. Thanks for the education!

[Egor]

Hi all,

I am going to pattaya on fri. I have a small metal plate in my head from a previous wound i received.

I have a stopover in Tokyo. I anticipate to set off their metal detectors with my plate, what is the best way to explain this to them as I may be a little zoned or inebriated as I get very nervous flying. 

I have an x-ray of my skull, maybe i should put this in my back-back and show them.

Any of you guys share the same problem 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jeffery, The metal plate will not be a problem, just explain to the security your situation.

You might want to unstrap that cell phone from your head though. Not only is it abnormal, but will surely draw their attention.

[AndyMoss]

Hi all,

I am going to pattaya on fri. I have a small metal plate in my head from a previous wound i received.

I have a stopover in Tokyo. I anticipate to set off their metal detectors with my plate, what is the best way to explain this to them as I may be a little zoned or inebriated as I get very nervous flying. 

I have an x-ray of my skull, maybe i should put this in my back-back and show them.

Any of you guys share the same problem 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it's a big problem. Every time I go through the detector gates the beeps start up. Waving the wand does not help. Last time they made me sit on the rolling bag table and sent me through, to check me 100%

not very nice, made me embarrassed

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Hi all,

I am going to pattaya on fri. I have a small metal plate in my head from a previous wound i received.

I have a stopover in Tokyo. I anticipate to set off their metal detectors with my plate, what is the best way to explain this to them as I may be a little zoned or inebriated as I get very nervous flying. 

I have an x-ray of my skull, maybe i should put this in my back-back and show them.

Any of you guys share the same problem  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it's a big problem. Every time I go through the detector gates the beeps start up. Waving the wand does not help. Last time they made me sit on the rolling bag table and sent me through, to check me 100%

not very nice, made me embarrassed

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

but intact

[udon]

A security screener at Denver International Airport has been reprimanded and several others at airports across the country put on administrative leave for sending their bodies through checkpoint x-ray machines to see what their brains look like.

[cdnvic]

A security screener at Denver International Airport has been reprimanded and several others at airports across the country put on administrative leave for sending their bodies through checkpoint x-ray machines to see what their brains look like.

A few blank screens resulted methinks.

cv