I had a TTT almost a year ago and now I am thinking about having the hardware removed.  I am not in any real pain doing activities or anything like that.  The main issues I am having is that I can't kneel on a hard surface without it really hurting.  I think the heads of the screws are digging into my skin.  It hurts. 

Anyone know what the recovery time is after the removal?  I can't imagine it is anything too crazy.

Screw removal in general isn't too bad. Some doctors will have you walking in no time with no real restrictions. Others may have you take it easy for a bit, but probably no crutches or anything like that except maybe as needed for your own comfort. Whether it allows you to not have discomfort with kneeling, though, is a tougher question to answer. I can kneel with little discomfort compared to my non operative knee (neither likes really hard surfaces like gravel/concrete/etc) but the little I had didn't go away with removal of the screws. What got better for me after having those screws out was the sensitivity and the ache I would get after running.

It is surgery and not to be taken lightly, but in general I don't think there is really any harm in taking them out. It may not help, but it probably won't hurt anything either. What did your doctor say?

I'm 11 weeks post-op, and at my 6 week post-op appointment, I asked my OS about removing my screws. My top one pokes out and is very noticeable, and a little creepy. He said that he usually removes them, but wouldn't for a few months at least. He also said that I would also have a little discomfort kneeling on the ground for the rest of my life, but I would get used to it.

Each doctor seems to have a different answer.  I have taken my daughter to multiple opinions and each are different.

You must remember....you are the patient.  This means if something makes you uncomfortable, you REQUEST the doctor to follow your wishes.

Yes, doctors' have the knowledge, but you are the patient.  Period.

It is not a very invasive procedure.  I was just told that my daughter would have hers removed out patient...depending on the doctor...small incision and less than two weeks recovery......after the bone has healed.

Russ