Failed xG3 v2 broken glass

[Ghosts]

Let me start out by saying that this experience has not changed my views on implants or DangerousThings.

Posting on here as a crosspost from the biohacker’s discord. Opening a ticket for Amal as well, but posting here to share my experience of rejection.

TLDR: failed glass encapsulation on my xG3 V2, fun rejection experience as a result. Photos included of it rejecting, and close ups of the implant.

My magnet had been nicely settled for the best part of six months, having been installed in early August to the knife edge of my non-dominant hand.

It started acting like there was a splinter or something stuck above it, maybe a week or so ago. It felt a bit irritated before that, but when it came to looking like a pus-filled head, and was otherwise not too bad, I didn’t think too much of it.

It all came to a head today when I went to look at it, assuming still, wrongly, that it was a ferrous splinter or metal shaving causing the issues.

That’s when it became clear it was the end of the xG3 poking at the surface of the skin.

More alarmingly, the cap had come off. With the help of the BioHacker’s discord, I managed to loosen the skin with hot soaks and pulling on the skin around it. It eventually, albeit slowly came out.

More alarmingly, lots of corrosion around it, and the cap has come away, along with large cracks and missing bits of glass.

Removal peaked at maybe a 0.5-1 out of 10. It was more the fainty vasovagal response that was throwing me for a loop.

Timeline:
22nd March

This is the day I managed to get it to start draining with the help of warm compresses and some patience. This is before it started draining

27 March:
No improvement, looking still like there was a nasty splinter in it, until it suddenly was clear that it wasn’t right.

It took a couple of hours of soaking and palpating the skin around it to get the skin to free off around it. After that, it slowly eased out.

So, I put it under a cheap little microscope and have the following photos:

[Equipter]

this is the grossest thing i’ve ever personally been apart of but what a journey it was

[packetauditor]

I was watching this play out on Discord. Glad you got it out with minimal pain.

[Ghosts]

Honestly, it wasn’t half as gross as I was expecting. It was just surreal.

[amal]

@Ghosts thanks for sharing this!

What I find interesting about this is the side glass has been broken / crushed. I think the fact it’s a v2 in the knife edge, I think is relevant. The knife edge has very little fat between the skin and muscle, if any. Also the v2 would attract objects to its side while the v1 attracts objects directly to the tip. My hunch is that something was probably attracted to the side of the v2 in such a way that the muscle under it was tensed and did not allow the v2 to move inward very easily in response to the impact. Combined with the lack of fat, basically there was probably insufficient padding between the v2 and surface of the skin, and insufficient padding under the v2 to allow tissue to absorb much of the impact force.

Thanks again for posting. Reply to your order confirmation email and we will get you a replacement.

[Ghosts]

The best guess I’ve got is that I must’ve done the damage some time ago.

It started hurting after I’d been crawling around on the floor, so I don’t know if that did the damage or just exacerbated it.

I ordered through KSEC as I’m UK based rather than DT. What’s the best next step in that case?

[Geroo]

I’ve never seen a post about a broken xG3 v2, having 2 xG3 v2 myself in right and left hand P11 (below thumb) I’m interested and would like to know if aside from the irritation you mention you could feel any pain or any special sensation that indicated it was broken.
Do you have any magnet particles or implant residue left inside?

Also could you say a bit more about what sport/activity were you doing when you were crawling and if it was that intense to break the glass?

Thanks for the post, these kind of cases are really helpful. Hope you are ok and can get another one!

[CoreySpondant]

man those pictures made me so uneasy but were so fascinating to see

@Ghosts

Removal peaked at maybe a 0.5-1 out of 10.

I assume you mean on the pain scale. I’m curious if there was any sense of physical relief once it came out, like the relief you feel when you drain blood that’s pooling under a fingernail.

[amal]

@Ghosts

What’s the best next step in that case?

Reply to my response to your ticket with your shipping information and phone number… we’ll sort something out.

[Pilgrimsmaster]

Thanks for sharing @Ghosts
Great write up and well documented.

There are obviously many many success stories, but the issues like your one is great learning for everybody.
If you didn’t share, people would be none the wiser.

The knife edge/ blade / P5 has proven as not reccomended for flexies, and consideration / warnings should maybe be considered for xSeries also.
There are still people with implants there without issue.

At the end of the day, it’s up to people to decide for themselves where they want to implant, but if we ( the community ) can identify places to potentially avoid or at least warn about, the fewer failures we will will see.

again thatnks (I actually found your pictures facinating, there might be something wrong with me)

[Ghosts]

To answer the questions:

@Geroo

Do you have any magnet particles or implant residue left inside?

Unknown, quite possibly. I’m not going digging though unless I have to.The wound area has no warmth, the redness and irritation are going down and I have no pain or discomfort.

@Geroo

Also could you say a bit more about what sport/activity were you doing when you were crawling and if it was that intense to break the glass?

I was working on a car, so just shuffling around on the ground etc. It was gravelly uneven ground, but no particular moment stands out. It just started hurting at some point during that, and I put it down to being cold and tired.

@CoreySpondant

I assume you mean on the pain scale. I’m curious if there was any sense of physical relief once it came out, like the relief you feel when you drain blood that’s pooling under a fingernail.

Sadly not, I had assumed it was a splinter so had managed to get it to drain all of the pus and ick, so when it came out, it was quite underwhelming really. I’ve had way more relief from removing ingrown nails etc. before.

[Ghosts]

Update today:
Some pus and ick drained into the bandage overnight I had given it a sterile saline rinse, and applied copious amounts of Germolene (chlorhexidine and phenol topical paste).

The wound is looking fairly settled, certainly way better than it has been.

[Qlet]

Hey, could you possibly point me in the direction of the discord server? I am new to the forum and the DC link was outdated. Thanks

[packetauditor]

I was referring to a Discord server that is not affiliated with DangerousThings, but has a lot of community members in it. If you want an invite link DM me.

[Ghosts]

Another quick update. Hand is healing very well now, but I am starting to really notice the absence.

I hadn’t realised quite how used to the magnet reacting to things I had become.

Though, interestingly, the magnet itself has now split itself into two pieces. It looks like it must’ve corroded right through.

[Hamspiced]

Glad it is out and healing. The bits and pieces of glass. are thse still inside unaccounted for?

[KaiCastledine]

I’m glad you’re alright ! Thanks @amal for sorting a replacement. Let me know if we can be of any help.

Hopefully better luck with the next one! - Kai

[Ghosts]

Just an update on where I’m at.

The old implant site seems to be healing up well. It might push out some more detritus at some point, the skin appears to be thinning and the dark spot is getting darker as it gets nearer the surface.

New implant is in palm side of P0. Sore install but healing seems to be going really well so far. Some sensitivity too from it. Tender for a few days and few minor sharp pains as it’s healed over the last 2-3 weeks but that’s about it.

It seems like a good spot overall.