Implants removed. The end!

The removal was done by a plastic surgeon specializing in hands and fingers, and was done flawlessly. I was surprised to find myself completely prepped for surgery and wheeled in to the OR, complete with several OR nurses and helpers. He administered a local anesthetic (which took all night to wear off - powerful stuff!) and made quick work of the magnet removals.

I was able to take one of them home. As I suspected the coating had been compromised and was definitely breaking apart and being broken down in my finger! I used a macro lens for my phone and got a closer shot. Keep in mind this disc is only 3mm in diameter.

Still, it's a very good thing I got them removed before they broke apart or infection occurred. The doctor and nurses kept asking "are you going to get more put in?"

The answer is "no."

The fingers are healing fine now, and I'll miss my 6th sense, but the stir disc just wasn't viable in the long term. I do want to experiment with gaining this sense again, through non-invasive means - whether by embedding a magnet in a fake glue-on fingernail or by building a glove or ring to do it. But for now, I'll carry on as a normal, un-enhanced human.

10 Years Later - Time to get them removed

It's been almost 10 years since my original implant. The magnets have been mostly trouble free and have given me a 6th sense. I have really enjoyed having them, and frequently used them to enhance my experience as an electrical engineer.

However, I have decided to have the implants removed. Finding a doctor to remove the implants has proven to be more difficult than I expected. Hand specialists, general practitioners, and dermatologists have all told me to look elsewhere. I finally found a hand specialist/plastic surgeon to do the work, and am scheduled for the procedure very soon.

I'm wanting this for several reasons:

After 10 years, the magnets have weakened.

The one in my right finger barely responds anymore, and the one in the left has also grown weak. Without any sensory feedback they're just lumps in my fingers.

They still get injured and irritated.

Twisting a screwdriver incorrectly, or losing grip on a heavy object that slides off your fingers is a sure recipe for irritating the implant. It will stay sensitive and swollen for a few days, or even weeks after. I'm looking forward to having full use of my grip. From the day they were implanted I've had to learn to lighten the stress on my ring fingers in every day tasks.

I want to remove them before they break apart

My most recent incident with my right hand made me think I had finally ruptured the thin coating on the magnet. Fortunately, in my consultation with the surgeon it appears both are intact.

I want access to an MRI if needed

I'm lucky to have never needed an MRI, but it is something that's always bothered me - that my implants could prevent me from getting a time-critical scan or dissuade doctors from using that tool when they need it.

I'll post once more after the procedure. Hopefully they'll let me take pictures of the magnets!