Body rejecting implant after 2 - 2,5 weeks?

Amal god damn please make this part of the terms of service or something…

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Generally infection from a bad installation will occur and become evident withing hours to days. A reaction 2+ weeks later speaks to later infection making its way into the incision site after the fact.

One possible cause of this is tension put on the tissue, specifically the incision site, from the implant “backing up” during healing. As the pocket created by the insertion of the needle heals, it will tend to push the implant back toward the incision site. If the pocket was not made deep enough to start, the implant will have nowhere to go, and this will put pressure on the incision site such that it doesn’t close or heal properly and remains a potential inlet for infectious agents. Not inserting the needle to a deep enough depth to create a deep enough pocket for the implant is likely the case here. From the looks of it on the video, she had a hard time working the implant into place at a sufficient depth. If this occurs, the best approach would be to remove the implant and re-insert the needle to create a deeper pocket. But, if that is not practical or possible, a new site should be chosen. Finally though, if no other recourse is chosen, a sturdy butterfly bandage should be used to keep the incision site tightly closed for 2-4 weeks if possible. Or, if sutures are possible, a suture should be considered. In either case, an additional protective gause bandage should be placed over the incision site to protect from dirt and infection until the site is properly closed.

  • From what you could tell, was the implant creating tension on the incision site?

  • Once you removed the bandage from the incision side, was it evident that the incision was not closed properly?

Bottom line, people’s bodies are all different, and certain placements may not be practical for some people. It is up to the customer and the professional to determine the best possible placement with lowest risk (and highest possibility of success). It may be that your hands in particular are not long enough on the first metacarpals to accommodate the full depth required by the needle for a successful installation in this particular part of the hand.

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Hi Amal,

Thanks for your response.

The first 2 weeks no tension on the incision site to be honest, this is something from the last 2/3 days.

Im putting cold packs on now which feel very good. But around the incision site, and overal on the implant which still feels in place its a bit hard and thick on top.

The wound was closed all the time and didnt realy reopen actualy.

My hope is still the swelling settles at some point without having the need to remove the implant :frowning:

Unfortunatly in my country scalpel is not allowed for piercing studios

Today actualy when feeling properly, its the pocket area itself where the main swelling is.

Maybe get a proper antibitiotic for 3 days? In case it is infected…

Picture of today

Got Xiclav from the doctor for a few days, just to be sure

It already looks slightly less inflamed

So hopefully the Antibiotics finish the job off

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I used a scalpel near the knuckles also between my 4th and 5th metacarpals with no problems - didn’t fancy using that needle with one hand close to my extensor tendons and a large vein.

Today:

The fluid stuff is gone so far. Movement of the fingers is also a bit easier again, although the implant part still seems swollen, but lets see again in a few days

Yeah, THAT looks more like what we would expect to see if there was a localised infection soon after install.

Much healthier looking than it was, still a bit of healing to do, but it’s on the right track

Was there any push from the medical provider for it to be removed?

I’m curious what the DT crowd thinks is the line for when something should come out be try to fight it into submission

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The one above, I personally would be happy with the progress and allow it to continue to heal, however any regression ( without cause ie. Impact ) I would reconsider removal.
Also any new signs / symptoms, I would also start looking to the cause and solutions

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Cool, always looking for more info as usual

I wondered if biofilms or whatever came into play at some point with infections or whatever

Obviously a lot of medical professionals think we are nuts so most would likely have them removed “to be safe” since they see no benefit in trying to salvage them

But I figured there is a line that is more reasonable than that

Its not removed. Im just on antibiotics :slight_smile: hopefully the implant can stay

My family doc did the opposite - I went to him because my flexNExT was bitchy af, and he told me to wait a few more days, to see if it calms down again. Well, it didn’t, and so I had to go to hospital, where they basically told me the same, adding that it wasn’t their “job” to take this out, because stupid me and my bodmod artist decided to put it in, so he should take it out again as well. Was during total lockdown here, so my artist wasn’t even able to go to his studio without getting serious problems…
So after waiting another few days, I went to a surgeon who totally panicked, sent me to a (different) hospital and after getting iv antibiotics for a day and a night, I got it removed the day after.

Totally agree, and it’s always an individual decision. Mine was massively swollen, hot and painful for about one week or so, so I was okay with the final decision to get it removed. But if you can calm it down with antibiotics, cool packs, reducing movement and all that stuff, it might always be worth a try. I personally just wouldn’t wait for too long - in the hospital, they told me I had a risk to get sepsis if I had waited for too long.

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Todays pic

Hard to say from phone screen but it does look shrinking, doesn’t it?

Its overal less, just the pocket itself is still swollen, and hard to bend all the fingers… but ill give the antibiotics time, i got them for a full week

Todays pic

So the swelling is more and more localising. Its think where the implant is and still red, the issue feels quit hard. Ill keep monitoring and if its not much better by sunday, when my antibiotics are finished ill go to hospital

Pics from the side also