Subdermal Implant Removal

The contraceptive arm implant lasts 3 years (in some cases up to 5, per medical guidance) and then has to be removed, whether to place a new one, switch methods or try for a pregnancy. At Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud La Porte we remove it under local anesthesia in a procedure of about 15 minutes, with no appointment, in Spanish or English and at a flat self-pay price.

When to have it removed

• It reached its expiration: after that date it is no longer reliable as birth control
• You want to get pregnant: fertility returns quickly, in most cases within the first month
• Side effects you cannot tolerate: irregular or continuous bleeding, headaches, mood changes, acne or weight gain
• You prefer to switch to the pill or the shot, or to another method
• Your doctor recommended it because of a health condition

What the procedure is like

1. We locate the implant by feeling your arm and mark the end closest to the skin
2. We clean the area and apply local anesthesia with a fine needle; that is the only poke you feel
3. We make a 2 to 3 millimeter incision over the tip of the implant
4. We remove it with forceps and show it to you so you can confirm it came out whole
5. We close with adhesive strips, no stitches, and apply a pressure bandage

The whole process takes 10 to 20 minutes. If you want a new implant, we guide you on where to get it placed; if you prefer the pill or the shot, we start them during the same visit so you are not left unprotected.

If the implant cannot be felt

In a few cases the implant sits deeper and cannot be felt under the skin. Removing it blindly can injure nerves or blood vessels, so in that situation we do not attempt it: we do an ultrasound to locate it and, if it is very deep, refer you to a specialist. Bring the card or placement record if you have it: it tells us the type of implant and where it was placed.

Aftercare

Keep the pressure bandage on for 24 hours to avoid a large bruise, and the adhesive strips for 3 to 5 days until they fall off on their own. You can shower the next day without soaking the area. Some bruising, mild soreness and a small scar that fades over months are normal. Come in or call us if there is spreading redness, pus, fever or pain that gets worse after 48 hours.

Remember that contraceptive protection ends the same day the implant is removed. If you do not want a pregnancy, use condoms from that moment or start another method.

Implant removal in La Porte, no insurance needed

Find our medical center at 9606 Spencer Hwy Ste D, La Porte, TX 77571, on Spencer Hwy, open Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM and Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM. No appointment or health insurance needed; the procedure has a flat price we confirm by phone. We care for women from La Porte, Deer Park, Pasadena, Shoreacres, Morgan's Point and the greater Houston area.