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M31 implant rejection and reimplantation
So last week Thursday (November 26th 2015) I got an m31 magnet implanted into my left ring finger. In order to minimize the chance of rejection, I requested that it be placed quite deeply and that sutures be used instead of glue. I got a nerve block done (Levobupivacaine via transthecal block: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/80887-technique#c3) so I couldn't feel anything at all during the procedure. The magnet was sterilized in 99% ethanol, instead of the supplied agent. The implantation itself was done via a small incision that was then opened into a pocket with plastic forceps before the magnet was forced in. A video of the procedure was taken, but I don't have it yet. I'm attaching a link to a few photos of the suturing. You'll notice that you can't even see the magnet. Palpating the site, you can't feel the magnet at all. No signs of infection, and minimal tenderness around the suturing area.
Today, however, I walked past a Sensormatic RFID+AM loss prevention panel and felt the little bugger vibrate for the first time! I'm going back in a few days to remove the sutures (so that they'll have stayed in for one week). When I change bandages, I can already pick up needles when the bandage is off.
Is this kind of recovery time normal? I was under the impression that it'd take a month before I could feel vibrations.
Pictures: http://imgur.com/a/DqO03
P.S.
Since he's started kicking, I need to name him. Any ideas? :)
Comments
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Make sure not to do to much with it for the first 2 weeks at least. It needs to heal and that means not getting used.
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Yup! I only tried the one needle for sh*ts and giggles, though. I have this idea that the longer I avoid playing with it, the more fun it'll be for me when I do start.The person who performed the implantation wants to keep the sutures in for 2 weeks, though. Any thoughts? I don't mind keeping them in longer if it helps healing, but I also don't want to risk an infection.To mitigate the infection risk, every time I change the dressing, I put a bit of Dettol (a chloroxylenol-based disinfectant) on the part that'll be in contact with the suture site. Could this have any adverse effects?
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2 weeks of sutures? Are they self dissolving? cause otherwise, that's really long... I think most people here are clocking about 5 days max on theirs...
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No, they're monofilament nylon sutures.
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The length of time to keep sutures in is a balancing act between infection and healing time. 5 days is definitely adequate assuming you switch over to something like steri-strips. If you're going to keep them longer be super careful to keep the site dry at all times. Nylon isn't as bad in terms of wicking, but it's still an issue.
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Here's one week after suturing.
http://imgur.com/sUlalAGI'm talking to my implanter to hear her argument for the longer time. -
The stitches are finally out, but I've run into a small problem: I've developed a water blister near the suture site (but not on it). The blister also isn't above the magnet, and is quite shallow so I don't think it's a case of rejection.Since I keep using disinfectant on the gauze whenever I change dressing, I think what happened was that the skin dried out, flaked off, and when I sweat under the dressing, the moisture ate away and created the blister.
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Hi!
I don't have relevant knowledge to help you but I follow your topic since a few weeks and I am curious about what happened next.
Do you still have this problem?
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I could've sworn I updated this thread! I'm so sorry.So it was, in fact, rejection. I suspect it was a case of a shallow implant, combined with my own sweat (my dressings were very much over the top) and an overuse of disinfectant (which, apparently, can inhibit scar tissue formation). So it looks like there is such a thing as overzealous aftercare
The magnet came out when I was changing my dressing. It literally just clung onto the fibres of the bandage and got pulled out. It wasn't painful, nor was there swelling. Only a little blood.I've actually reimplanted it now, and it's been quite successful so far. I'm nearing three weeks. No pain, the swelling has almost completely subsided and there are no signs of rejection.
I gave the magnet to a friend of mine in the same university who's doing his Masters in material science to take a look at the coating and he told me that it was perfectly intact, so it wasn't a quality issue.The magnet was reimplanted into my right finger this time, with an incision made on the side, and the magnet itself pushed in quite deeply. I had 3 stitches which were in for a week. The biggest difference I noticed was that after only 3 days I already started feeling my magnet buzzing when I placed my finger near the speaker on my phone. I'm also fairly sure I can feel it buzz now and then when I'm driving, and I suspect it's reacting to something in my steering wheel. I could be wrong, car mechanics is not my field at all.As an end note, I've drastically changed my aftercare regime. This time I simply covered my finger in micropore tape and changed it 3 times a day, applying fresh mupirocin ointment each time.
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yeah I too had my first magnet reject because of too much after care... band-aids and neosporyn kept it too wet, didnt let it heal.
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