I’ve had my implant in the usual spot between my thumb/pointer for around 5 years now.
It has never been perfectly positioned though. The bottom part is too close to the thumb bone in my opinion. I don’t feel it constantly but there are times when I feel a slight uncomfortable feeling. This happens after doing something that uses my thumb a lot, let’s say I doomscroll with my left hand or I go fishing and have to hold onto the fishing reels knob tightly for hours.
I’d now like to do something about it. I read about using prenatal vitamins for locking the implant down - is there also something that works in reverse? Something that loosens up the fibrin/collagen so that I could then place it correctly using the toothpick method and taking prenatal vitamins?
Hmm.. not that I know of. Basically people that tend to have migration problems after a period of good encapsulation either experience an injury or event that dislodges the implant, or they have generally poor diet, sleep, and general health for a period of time. I don’t suggest injuring yourself or purposefully declining your health to the point it loosens up.
Nothing like that in specific happened. But as mentioned, it wasn’t perfect from the beginning, I kind of just ignored it as it didn’t bother me too much. Diet, sleep, general health should be pretty good. Won’t purposefully do any of that, promise
So I guess as @Pilgrimsmaster noted the decision is between just leaving it in or having it removed. I have read the thread on removals.
For me to make that decision I’d like to understand about the risks of having the implant too close to the bone. From what I’ve read the real risk is there being an accident (like that woman with the horse incident) and the implant being crushed against the bone. But is there also a risk of the bone being damaged by the implant constantly “rubbing” against it?
If there’s no risk of my body being damaged in the long run I might just leave it in. As mentioned, the uncomfortable feeling is just there for maybe a day or two once a month or something. Most of the time I don’t even notice it. It’s hard to describe the feeling though. I guess you could kind of compare it to a sore muscle. Just a feeling of “Hey, something has been disturbing here for a bit, the body is letting you know about it”.
Attached an image of my hand and the approximate location of the implant.
I’d say when resting my hand there is like a 3mm distance to the metacarpal bone.
I had one migrate too close to the index metacarpal in my right hand which was uncomfortable under the thumbs of “enthusiastic” hand-shakers. My surgeon buddy popped it out and reinstalled it with very little trouble.
