Marchand Institute Issues Warning on Small Wearable Vibrators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MESA, Ariz. — January 21, 2020

X-Ray of the Pelvis Shows an Extremely Narrow Vibrator Lodged in the Bladder, Prior to Surgical Removal by the Marchand Institute.

The Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery released a warning today regarding new lines of small adult toys that are marketed as being as wearable as fashion jewelry and doubling as a functioning vibrating adult toy. These new devices are detachable from the necklace chain, and once detached they have an extremely thin diameter. As the devices are designed to stimulate the clitoral area, this raises a serious concern for the devices entering, and becoming lost within the urethra.

Surgeons at The Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery have removed the device from a patient’s bladder already using a cystoscopic approach.

“Women need to know about the dangers of these devices.” Said Dr. Greg J. Marchand, director of the Institute. “The diameter of these devices is only approximately 1.2cm, or about the same as a 36 french catheter. If the device inadvertently slips into the urethra, it can easily be lost and will not be recoverable without surgery.”

The devices do come with a brief warning label stating that the devices are not for “Vaginal, Anal or Urethral Use.” The Institute said that this warning was “ridiculously insufficient,” as the risk for losing the device in the bladder was very much a also danger for users attempting clitoral stimulation, and the risk was not at all limited to users intentionally entering the urethra.

Making matters worse, health professionals do not routinely search the bladder for foreign bodies, as it is unusual for a large object to enter the bladder because of the narrow opening of the urethra. Therefore the device could be difficult to locate by radiology or surgical exploration. It is much more common for an object to penetrate the posterior wall of the vagina and enter the abdominal cavity, or to be unretrievable in the rectum. Therefore location and removal of these devices can be difficult and could lead to unnecessary extra surgery or complications.

The Institute recommends that all women avoid rod shaped vibrators with an extremely narrow diameter, and instead choose devices with a wider diameter, at least as thick as a marker or thumb.

About the Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery

The Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit research and educational institution based in Mesa, Arizona (EIN 42-2857240). The Institute produces peer-reviewed systematic reviews and meta-analyses in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery and women’s health, conducts FDA clinical trials, and trains surgeons through an SLS-accredited fellowship. All reviews are prospectively registered with PROSPERO, reported to PRISMA standards and appraised using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. The Institute accepts no pharmaceutical or medical device industry funding and declares no conflicts of interest. It is directed by Greg J. Marchand, MD, FACS, FACOG, FICS.

Media Contact
Maria A. Sainz, Director of Communications and Media Relations
Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery
maria@marchandobgyn.com | (480) 999-0905

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