Removal of a Contraceptive Subdermal Implant
Conditions
Brief summary
This randomized trial will compare different approaches to removing a subdermal contraceptive implant from the upper arm of 225 women in Uganda. The experimental approach is a hand-held device (RemovAid) that incises the skin and grasps the implant for extraction. Safety and efficacy endpoints will be compared to the traditional removal approach (scalpel, forceps, tweezers).
Detailed description
The trial assigns participants to one of three arms: RemovAid+lidocaine patch (n=75), RemovAid+lidocaine injection (n=75) or traditional approach+lidocaine injection(n=75). Complication rates in the different arms will be compared. Efficacy (successful implant removal) will be the secondary comparisons. Finally, pain during removal and duration of removal procedure will be compared. Participants will return to the clinic within 4 weeks of the removal procedure to record the healing process and final interventions (if any).
Interventions
DEVICERemovAid device + lidocaine patch
The RemovAid device incises the skin and grasps the implant for removal. A lidocaine patch will be used prior to incision.
PROCEDUREStandard technique + lidocaine injection
Using scalpel, tweezers, and forceps to remove a subdermal implant. A lidocaine injection will be used prior to incision.
DEVICERemovAid device + lidocaine injection
The RemovAid device incises the skin and grasps the implant for removal. A lidocaine injection will be used prior to incision.
Sponsors
Karolinska Institutet
Mulago Hospital, Uganda
FHI 360
RemovAid AS
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 99 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* seeking voluntary removal of a one-rod subdermal implant * willing to sign an informed consent document * willing to be randomized to the new device vs. standard technique * willing to follow-up at the study clinic for any subsequent removal-related complications * willing to have any follow-up complications recorded and shared * has an implant that is completely and easily palpable * has an implant that is easily pinched and lifted * no known allergies to skin preparation products or local anesthetics
Exclusion criteria
* Implants that are not easily palpable * Previous failed implant removal
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of women who have post-removal complications - | 4 weeks | Complications will include unusual level of trauma to the skin (bruising/hematoma), excessive bleeding, use of sutures to repair skin after removal, inability to remove the implant, implant breakage or severing at time of removal, subsequent infection at the removal site, and other complications that may be noted by the investigator |
| Number of implants that are successfully removed | 0-3 hours | The number of implants successfully removed i) without breaking the implant and without additional tools (scalpel, tweezers, or forceps), ii) without additional tools, iii) without the additional use of a scalpel. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Participant pain level | 0-3 hours | Level of pain as recorded on 10cm visual analog scale from 0cm (No Pain) to 10cm (Worse Pain Imaginable) with higher numbers indicating worse outcomes |
| Duration of removal procedure | 0-3 hours | Number of minutes and seconds need to remove the implant |
| Provider feedback on device on whether RemovAid device helped with removal of implant | 0-3 hours | 5-point Likert scale measuring from 1(Strongly Disagree), 2 (Disagree), 3 (Neutral), 4 (Agree), 5 (Strongly Agree) on whether RemovAid device helped with removal of implant with higher scores indicating better outcomes |
| Provider feedback on device on ways the product helped or hindered implant removal | 0-3 hours | Text responses on ways the product helped or hindered implant removal |
Countries
Uganda
Outcome results
None listed