Victoria Stephens, 28, a retail assistant from Gosport in Hampshire, discovered her contraceptive implant had migrated deep into her upper arm, requiring surgical removal and leaving her with lasting pain and scarring. The incident is part of a growing number of cases where the device, known as Nexplanon, has moved from its intended location under the skin, sometimes ending up in dangerous areas of the body.
Nexplanon, used by approximately 400,000 women in the UK, is a small, plastic rod inserted under the skin of the upper arm. It releases progestogen, preventing ovulation and thickening cervical mucus to provide contraception. While generally considered a convenient and effective method – requiring replacement only every three years – a series of reports have highlighted the risk of migration.
Stephens initially noticed the problem in 2020 when she could no longer perceive the implant during a routine check. A nurse confirmed the device had moved, lodging itself deeper within her arm tissue. A subsequent attempt to remove the implant involved a 2cm incision, local anesthetic and considerable effort from a GP. Stephens required four external and two internal stitches and had to wear a sling for several days to allow the wound to heal.
Her experience is not isolated. A 2020 report by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK body responsible for vetting the safety of medical devices, revealed at least 126 cases of wandering Nexplanon implants since its approval in 2010. Eighteen of those cases involved emergency treatment for implants that had migrated to the lungs, causing severe breathing difficulties.
More recently, in December 2025, surgeons at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge detailed a case in the BMJ Case Reports journal of a woman in her 20s who required surgery to remove a Nexplanon implant that had travelled to her pulmonary artery – the vessel connecting the lungs to the heart. The patient needed five days of hospital care to recover.
The issue isn’t limited to Nexplanon. The IUD, or intrauterine device, is as well known to migrate, and implantable loop recorders, used to monitor heart rhythms, and even dental implants have been reported to move within the body.
Dr. Kathryn Clement, a consultant gynaecologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, described such migrations as “particularly rare,” particularly to blood vessels in the lungs. Though, she cautioned that once an implant has migrated and remained in place for an extended period, removal can become increasingly difficult due to scar tissue formation. She noted that the implants continue to release progestogen as long as they remain intact, potentially providing unintended long-term contraception for women hoping to conceive.
Dr. Clement explained that problems often arise from incorrect insertion, specifically when the implant is mistakenly placed into the basilic vein – a major vein running up the arm – rather than between the skin and underlying tissues. This allows the implant to enter the bloodstream and potentially travel to the heart and lungs.
In December 2024, Danielle Jarrett from Dartford, Kent, received media attention after losing the use of her left arm due to nerve damage caused by a deeply lodged Nexplanon implant, inserted in 2019. Doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital in London were unable to remove the device after a two-hour attempt, leaving Jarrett unable to perform simple tasks like using cutlery.
Another case involved a woman from Essex who discovered she was 22 weeks pregnant despite raising concerns about not being able to feel a replacement implant inserted in 2018. Doctors had initially dismissed her concerns, attributing the difficulty in locating the implant to a slightly deeper insertion. The woman subsequently gave birth, and a legal claim was settled with the NHS trust responsible for the implant service for £35,000.
In 2024, television personality Dani Dyer publicly revealed she required surgery to remove a Mirena coil – another type of IUD – after it migrated into her pelvic area, causing significant pain and irregular bleeding.
The MHRA advises women to regularly check for the presence of their implant immediately after insertion and periodically thereafter. Correct insertion technique is crucial, and the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare provides training for practitioners. Incorrect insertion is more common when staff are not adequately trained or when treating very slim patients with limited subcutaneous fat.
Victoria Stephens underwent a fourth implant insertion in January 2023, but in October of the same year, she again found she could no longer locate the device. She is now experiencing pain and the return of her menstrual cycle, indicating the implant may have failed. She is awaiting a GP appointment for removal and has stated she will not pursue further implants.
Organon, the manufacturer of Nexplanon, has not provided a comment when contacted.
