Question for the group… Have any members been told that clamps / pins / clips are used in surgery with a styloidectomy & C1 shave, and what they’re needed for? Do these clips show up on imaging and is there anything special to be made aware of? Thank you!
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Most doctors won’t tell you they use surgical clips during surgery unless you ask. I think they are used less now than when I had my surgeries (2014/15). I didn’t know I had surgical clips placed until I had a follow-up scan for something else years later. Even though the clips are supposedly made from “hypoallergenic” metal (titanium, I think) there are still people who claim they can feel them, or they cause pain, so they get them removed. I’ve had no trouble with mine. They’re very tiny. I think they’re used to clamp minor vascular tissues that need to be cut during surgery then are left in place because they’re non-intrusive & reduce internal post op bleeding.
If you’re concerned about surgical clips being used in your surgery, talk to your doctor about it. You may be seeing someone who doesn’t use them so there’s nothing to worry about. 
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Thank you for the info. Makes sense. This is the reason from my concern:
I just had a appointment with my atlas AO chiropractor, he told me about a recent patient in his office, who had a cervical procedure and he found pins (clamps - clips) in their neck that are very close to their C1 - transverse process that will prohibit him from performing a C1 atlas orthogonal adjustment on them. This patients atlas is subluxed, similar to mine.
Knowing that I’m scheduled for surgery, he cautioned me to inquire about post surgical clamps or pins placed near my C1 and notified me that if this was the case it would be dangerous for him to adjust me after my styloidectomy. This possibility got my attention due to the fact that many ES patients also show signs of CCI, cervical lordosis issues, ect., that may benefit from upper cervical care and C1 adjustments, after the styloidectomy.
Thoughts?
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Thanks for that info @babsbr , it’s certainly something to consider for members looking at needing cervical adjustments after surgery… I’ve added it in to the info about questions to ask doctors before surgery.
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