Implant Removal Surgery

Implant Removal Surgery at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Malad

A child who broke an arm on the playground, a parent who had a plate put in after a fall, a grandparent with a rod in the thigh: many families have someone living with orthopaedic hardware. Plates, screws, rods and wires work quietly once a fracture has healed, and most people forget them. Implant removal surgery takes out these metal devices once the bone is strong enough that they no longer do anything useful. It may be planned from the beginning, or it may follow discomfort, irritation, or a problem around the implant. CritiCare Asia Hospitals is an orthopaedic hospital in Mumbai where families are encouraged to come to consultations together. Our surgeons explain the reasons for and against removal to everyone involved, and implant removal surgery in Malad is suggested only when it will genuinely help.

Symptoms to Look Out For

These signs often lead to an evaluation:

Tenderness or pain directly over the implant site
A lump or swelling where the hardware sits near the skin
Reduced movement in a nearby joint
Redness, warmth or discharge around the earlier surgical site
The feeling of hardware catching, clicking or shifting under the skin

Is Removal Really Necessary?

Not every implant needs to come out, and many stay for life without any trouble. It is considered when:

The fracture has healed, and the implant was only ever temporary, particularly in children and teenagers whose bones are still growing
Hardware close to the skin keeps hurting, as it can near the ankle, wrist or collarbone
An infection is a risk, or has already started
The implant has loosened, shifted or is irritating the tissue around it
Pain clearly comes from the hardware and not from the old fracture

How the bone has healed, what the implant is doing, and how much it affects daily life all shape the answer. Our orthopaedic doctors in Mumbai go through these with you honestly.

What Lies Behind the Discomfort

Pain after fracture repair is not always a sign that something has gone wrong. Hardware placed near the skin, with little soft tissue to cushion it, tends to irritate over time. In growing children, the position of hardware against bone changes as they grow. A low-grade infection can also develop around an implant months or years after the operation, quite separate from how the bone healed. And sometimes the metal becomes painful simply because the bone no longer needs it.

Recovery at Home

Recovery is usually shorter and easier than after the original fracture surgery. Mild swelling and soreness around the incision are normal for the first week or two, and weight-bearing limits, if any, are generally lighter. Physiotherapy is not always needed, though it helps if a nearby joint has become stiff. Most people are back to daily routines within a few weeks, with full recovery settling in over one to two months depending on the implant's size and location. Having a family member around for the first days makes things much easier.

Getting Ready for the Day

Fasting applies from the night before, and any blood-thinning medicines are paused under medical guidance. Someone should accompany you home afterwards, since anaesthesia takes time to wear off. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, and ask your surgeon how soon you can return to work, school or sport, because this varies a lot between patients.

Treatment Options and the Procedure

Before the operation, imaging confirms that the fracture has healed and shows where the hardware sits. Blood tests, a general health review and anaesthesia planning follow, with general or regional anaesthesia chosen according to the hardware involved.

In the operating theatre, the surgeon reopens the original incision where possible to limit scarring. Screws are unscrewed, plates lifted away, and rods or wires drawn out. A single screw takes far less time to remove than a long intramedullary nail. The site is then closed and dressed.

Afterwards, pain is generally milder than after the first surgery, because only soft tissue is healing. Movement usually returns sooner than it did before.