IUD Removal Cost
An IUD, depending on the type you received, can protect you from a pregnancy up to 12 years, but as with any IUD, it can be removed at any time by a doctor or nurse.
How much does it cost to remove an IUD?
The costs of removing your IUD greatly depends on the doctor you visit, your geographical region and the reason for a visit. If your IUD is being removed because it has expired and needs to be replaced by a new one, then the costs can often be as little as $0 with insurance; however, if you want to remove it due to personal reasons, then the costs may not be covered by insurance, depending on your insurance policy. With hundreds of policies out there, either talk with your doctor’s office in regards to the cost and/or call your insurance company directly to see what you may be responsible for.
In conclusion, the entire procedure to remove your IUD will cost anywhere from $0 if due to expiration or up to $250 or the costs of a simple office visit since the procedure is relatively straightforward.
For example, on this MrMoneyMustache.com forum thread, someone asked if they knew what the costs of removing an IUD would cost, and according to the responses, most stated the actual device will be the most expensive cost, often being as much as $800; however, if you just want to have it removed, then most agreed you should be prepared to just pay an office visit fee, usually around $100 to $200.
The same answers were confirmed by members on this BabyCenter.com forum thread as well, with most stating you should be prepared to pay an office visit fee, ranging anywhere from as little as a $0 co-pay to more than $150. One person, in particular, stated she paid $100 at her local Planned Parenthood to have hers removed, while another stated her local state health department only charged $20.
How is an IUD removed?
The process is relatively simple, according to Planned Parenthood, and only requires a tight pull on the string, allowing the IUD to fold up and slip out by using a little speculum to open the walls and using forceps to grasp onto the strings once your doctor determines the position of the uterus. Most women, during the process, report feeling a slight cramping pain but quickly subsides after the IUD releases. In some cases, your IUD may struggle to come out, but if this happens, while rare, special instruments may be needed to remove it.
The entire process is extremely fast and takes less than five minutes.
Dr. Carolyn Alexander, MD, via Refinery29.com, notes that she advises most patients to take a Motrin a half hour before the procedure, but in the end, the difficulty of the procedure greatly depends on the individual’s body and what the provider feels what’s best.
Recovery
The recovery time is almost immediate, and aside from slight cramping, most women, as long as no complications were present, can resume normal activities almost immediately.
In the case of complications, however, your doctor may determine, at the time, to open up the cervix with a light sedation method, which can create a longer recovery period.
When should an IUD be removed?
While you can take out your IUD at any time, some IUDs will expire. Refer to the table below to see when popular brands expire:
Brand | When to replace |
---|---|
Kyleena | after 5 years |
Liletta | after 4 years |
Mirena | after 6 years |
ParaGard | after 12 years |
Skyla | after 3 years |
Tips to know
While removing the IUD may seem like a cost-efficient choice, it’s highly advised against in the medical world due to the obstacles you may face. Since removing an IUD does take a special technique and skills, removing it improperly could cause pain such as stretching your uterus and/or injuring the cervix or uterine wall.
Complications, as with any procedure, can occur, including short strings, a perforated IUD that’s hard to remove and/or even embedded beyond the wall of the uterus. In this case, an additional procedure may be required to find the IUD and remove it, effectively greatly increasing the costs mentioned above.
After removal, your pregnancy chances are almost immediate.
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