Contraceptive implant removal

You may wish to have your implant removed because:

you want to become pregnant
your current device has expired and you want to have another fitted
you are having problems with the device and wish to change to another method.

Your first appointment

You will have an appointment, usually by telephone, to discuss the procedure. You'll also talk about alternative methods, if you'd like to continue to use contraception.

Removing the implant

A specially trained doctor or nurse will take it out
The doctor or nurse will feel your arm to locate the implant and then give you a local anaesthetic injection close to the implant
They will then make a tiny cut in your skin and gently pull the implant out. A dressing will then be put on the arm to keep it clean and dry and to help reduce bruising. The dressing should be kept on for 3 days.

Is it difficult to remove?

It usually only takes a few minutes to remove an implant. If the implant has been put in correctly, it should not be difficult to remove
Occasionally an implant is difficult to feel under the skin and it may not be so easy to remove. If this happens, you may be referred to a specialist centre to have it removed with the help of an ultrasound scan.
If you want to carry on using an implant, the Doctor or Nurse can put a new one in at the same time as removing your old one. You will continue to be protected against pregnancy if your previous device has not expired. If your previous device has expired you will need to use additional precautions for seven days after your implant is fitted.

After implant removal

You may experience a little discomfort once the local anaesthetic wears off. Please take pain relief e,g, Paracetamol as required. Most bruising should settle within 10 days of removal. You can carry out all normal activities.
If you find pus or bleeding or have intense pain at the site of the cut, you could have a skin infection and may need antibiotics. This is very rare. Please call us if you're worried.

Your clinic appointment

We will send a text reminder about your appointment asking you to confirm your attendance. We will follow this with other attempts to reach you (call, text, email), but if you have not confirmed your attendance or re-arranged your time 24 hours prior to the clinic we will give your appointment to another woman.