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Location and removal of non-palpable subdermal single-rod contraceptive implant
Rafael Buitrón-García-Figueroa1, Martha L Zancatl-Díaz1, Erich O P Basurto-Kuba2
1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital General de México "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga". Mexico City, Mexico.
Objective:
The objective of the study was to present the experience of the family planning service Hospital General de México, in locating and removing no palpable subdermal single-rod contraceptive implants.
Materials And Methods:
A descriptive, prospective, and cross-sectional study was performed from January 2011 to April 2018.
Results:
Hundred and sixty-four patients in whom the implant was not palpable were reviewed, the time between insertion and removal averaged 3.3 years (maximum 10 years and minimum 3 months). Three implants were inserted in the right arm, the rest on the left one. Forty-seven implants were found in fatty tissue (29%), 18 in fascia (11%), 94 in muscle (57%), 2 in the armpit (1.2%), and 3 were not found (1.8%).
Conclusions:
The no palpable implant is caused by an incorrect insertion technique. Migration should not be assumed as a cause of difficult location. Amount of non-palpable implants is not possible to determine due to a lack of records, but approximately 3% are considered non-palpable. Ultrasound has proven to be the study of choice to locate an incorrect inserted implant. In this case, the total number of implants was located, except in two patients.
