Contraceptive implant surgery. Doctor's gloved hands using a stainless steel Trocar device to insert a white contraceptive implant under the skin of a woman's arm. Ink lines are stencilled on the skin to mark implantation sites. Six Norplant implants will be inserted in a fan-shaped pattern. Local anaesthetic has been used on the area. The implants are small white tubes filled with female hormone. They are designed to give a 5-year sustained release of hormone into the blood, providing a method of long term birth control for women. Fertility returns soon after the implants are removed. This method may also be suitable for women who are unable to use oral contraceptives. Norplant was discontinued in 2002.