How necessary is undermining? (Fingertip magnet)
After reading and watching various magnet implant guides, I'm noticing some disagreement on whether the skin needs to be undermined to create a pocket for the magnet. The local wiki says that "the lack of a proper pouch will inevitably lead to rejection" (quite a strong claim), and yet sources like chironex's video don't even mention it.
Most professional medical sources only suggest undermining for relieving tension on the wound closure, although those sources aren't considering a foreign body (like a magnet.)
Comments
Well, I've only done two magnet implants, one failed, one successful, but assuming you're implanting a sensing disc it's absolutely necessary.
There's connective tissue underneath your skin that holds it in place & pulls it back into position when it's moved. Without undermining this tissue will push the magnet back towards the incision, trying to force it out. Pressure on the stitches or sealant will force the incision open, leading to infection & rejection.
If you're implanting any of the rod magnets, or any of the tags that are done with injector you don't have to worry about it as the needle itself creates the pocket in the connective tissue.
I've re-read the information available much more closely and I've realized realize how much I misunderstood what undermining actually is. I was under the impression that the skin would easily lift away after the initial incision and that undermining was an additional step after the "pocket" was already there. Now I see how skin actually connects to the underlying tissue and that undermining is required to even insert the magnet. I feel dumb.
don't feel dumb! not knowing something is the first step to knowing something