The ethics of explantation

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Health Policy

Background:

• Increasing use of medical implants leads to a rise in explantations for various reasons.
• Ethical issues surrounding explantation are discussed across multiple clinical disciplines.
• Lack of a unified approach complicates ethical considerations for explanted devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize information from diverse clinical disciplines.
• To provide a comprehensive approach to ethical issues in medical implant explantation.
• To analyze and address the multifaceted ethical challenges associated with explanted devices.

Main Methods:

• Cross-disciplinary information synthesis.
• Analysis of ethical considerations in medical implant removal.
• Review of clinical practices and patient-centered concerns.

Main Results:

• Recommendations cover pre-implantation information, risk-benefit analysis, and patient-requested explantations.
• Addresses ethical issues in clinical trials, patient registers, and quality assurance for explanted implants.
• Proposes manufacturer responsibilities for battery-driven implants and product testing.

Conclusions:

• Control and ownership of implants are central to ethical explantation issues.
• Implants functioning as biological replacements should be considered supplemented body parts.
• Patients have rights to implants, but this status changes upon explantation.