This retrospective study was designed to estimate the incidence of complicated intrauterine device (IUD) removals in a New York health care system between 2017 and 2020. Complicated IUD removal was defined as requiring instrumentation, ultrasound guidance, or removal in the operating room. Among 1,803 IUD removals, 205 (11.4%) were classified as complicated, with an incidence of 113.7 per 1,000 IUD removals (95% CI, 99-129.3). Age was the only demographic factor significantly associated with complicated removal (P<.01). Age and race and ethnicity were independently associated with operating room removal (P=.04 and P=.02, respectively). These results may support improved patient counseling on the potential risks of IUD removal.
Coles et al. (Fri,) studied this question.