wrist implant procedure

edited February 2015 in Magnets
So i've mentioned this a couple times here and there but as the wait continue for my magnets to arrive i figured it's time to get this sorted out. I intend to put a magnet in my wrist as well as 2 in my fingers. The fingers are obviously simple, same procedure as always. the wrist however is more complicated. I figured i'd open a thread to discuss the potential procedure. I've been watching carpel tunnel surgeries as it's i the same location that i'd want to implant approximately. My thoughts so far are as follows however im still not sure of placement in the wrist exactly as im not sure where would be the most sensitive and safe:

instead of a nerve block preform simple local anesthesia with 2-3ml of lidocain. 
apply tourniquet just above elbow to stop bloodflow. 
mark a 5mm incision line above the transverse carpal ligament, between the median and ulnar nerves. the ulnar nerve is above the ligament while the median is under it. so slightly off to the pinky side of the wrist. 
using a scalpel make a superficial incision just deep enough to get through the epidermal layers but not far enough to cut into the other tissue and staying well above the carpal ligament. 
rotate the scalpel and gently separate the dermal tissue from the lower tissues to create the pocket.
insert the magnet and seal with sutures.


thoughts thus far? things need changed?

Comments

  • Curious if you've found any more info. With the injection-based m61 on the horizon... would it be worth while to look into the injection method as a viable option for the wrist? With a smaller magnet I would imagine, as having a chunk that big hanging out on/in the wrist is probably a bad idea. I haven't tried anything wrist based, so forgive me if I'm /way/ off on any assumptions I might be making. But it seems like it would be a somewhat safer way to make sure you stay as close to the epidermal layer as possible while minimizing the risk of damaging anything else in the area. 
  • was thinking of injection but honestly as long ad you put it in the right spot the normal procedure should be fine. it's just positioning that needs to be works out

  • @drjaaz - I've enjoyed my wrist magnet now for about 6 months. It sounds like appx the same location you're considering. It's sensitive which is great and I do not experience any negative effects on my movement. It does protrude significantly as it is a large magnet. I think part of it may have to do with gravity and my desk job where the desk was magnetic. Oy. Anyway, a thinner or flatter magnet may be preferable.

    I would not recommend rotating the scalpel. This is a messy process with higher chance of error. I've seen enough videos that cause me to believe making the pocket with the blade is less than optimal. Using the back end of the scalpel to create a pocket, on the other hand, can work. Also, at Dangerous Things, they are working on developing a placement tool to make pocket creation and placement under the skin easier.

    Bonus for the wrist- The install really didn't hurt that bad at all even without lidocain. But I also didn't do it to myself.
  • when i say rotate, i mean tip on it's side and turn 90 degrees so the pocket goes to the side and not straight down.
  • pivot around the point of incision
  • with the new use of the needle implant method I was wondering if it would work for this as it's easier and you're much less likely to hit something important. thoughts?
  • My experience with implantation of a biotherm chip kind of near the
    wrist went very well, despite the complexity of the anatomy in the area,
    but the wrist is a whole lot more complex still.  Needle implantation goes very smoothly for chips and the four magnets I've done that way, and I'm a huge proponent of the method.  As you said, you're less likely to hit something important with a smaller opening.
  • honestly i love the idea of the needle from a healing point of view. much harder to screw up. my method of choice from now on
  • Absolutely.  Smaller wound, FAR faster healing, easier to do, and requires less equipment.  I know that scalpel implantations have worked well for many people, and I'm not knocking it in the least, but for small items like glass tags and magnets, needles seem far simpler to use.

    Honestly, though, I'm glad I had the opportunity to do the scalpel implantations that I did, despite the failures.  I learned alot and found the experience to be very interesting and overall enjoyable.
  • I agree. Im glad I did it for the experience. but i'd rather use the needle for simplicity and non dominant hand stuff.
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