Daştan Ali Engin, Vahabi Arman, Günay Hüseyin, Aktuğlu Kemal
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
Department of Hand Surgery, Izmir City Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
Orthop Surg. 2025 May;17(5):1447-1453. doi: 10.1111/os.14327. Epub 2024 Dec 30.
Orthopedic implants may need to be removed for various reasons. There is little data on the appropriate handling of implants after their removal from patients. This study aimed to analyze how orthopedic surgeons handle removed implants and their underlying philosophies, using data collected from a survey.
This study, conducted between May 2024 and June 2024, utilized an online survey targeting orthopedic surgeons and residents in Turkey to investigate practices and views regarding removed implants. A total of 205 participants completed an 11-question online survey via Google Forms. The survey covered hospital types, professional experience, protocols for handling removed implants, practices for archiving and disposing of implants, and perspectives on current practices and future direction.
Participants' professional experience varied widely. None of the participants followed a specific protocol for managing removed implants. Opinions on giving implants to patients were diverse: 17.1% would never give the implant to the patient, 32.2% would comply with the patient's request, and 50.7% had no definitive approach. A minority (2.9%) systematically archived implants, while others archived selectively or disposed of them as medical waste. The primary motivations for archiving included medicolegal protection (21%) and professional curiosity (75.2%). Only 2.9% had experience with legal requests for removed implants, and 80% supported establishing regulations for handling removed implants.
Orthopedic surgeons' legal and ethical perceptions regarding removed implants, as well as their preference of handling, vary widely. Establishing a standardized approach can reduce this variability in practice and ensure uniformity in healthcare.
由于各种原因，骨科植入物可能需要取出。关于植入物从患者体内取出后的妥善处理，相关数据很少。本研究旨在通过一项调查收集的数据，分析骨科医生如何处理取出的植入物及其潜在理念。
本研究于2024年5月至2024年6月进行，采用在线调查的方式，针对土耳其的骨科医生和住院医师，调查他们对取出的植入物的处理方法和看法。共有205名参与者通过谷歌表单完成了一项包含11个问题的在线调查。该调查涵盖医院类型、专业经验、处理取出植入物的方案、植入物存档和处置的做法，以及对当前做法和未来方向的看法。
参与者的专业经验差异很大。没有参与者遵循特定的方案来管理取出的植入物。对于将植入物交给患者的意见各不相同：17.1%的人永远不会将植入物交给患者，32.2%的人会遵守患者的要求，50.7%的人没有明确的方法。少数人（2.9%）系统地存档植入物，而其他人则选择性地存档或将其作为医疗废物处理。存档的主要动机包括法律保护（21%）和专业好奇心（75.2%）。只有2.9%的人有过关于取出植入物的法律请求的经验，80%的人支持制定处理取出植入物的法规。
骨科医生对取出的植入物的法律和伦理观念，以及他们的处理偏好差异很大。建立标准化的方法可以减少实践中的这种差异，并确保医疗保健的一致性。
