How To Remove a Ring Using a Manual Ring Cutter

ByPuneet Gupta, MD, Los Angeles County Fire Department
Reviewed/Revised Apr 2023
View Patient Education

Removal of a ring trapped on a finger may require use of a manual ring cutter.

A ring cutter should be tried whenever there is excessive swelling, evidence of finger ischemia, or when other methods fail. Cutting the ring along its circumference allows the ring to be spread apart and removed from the swollen finger.

Indications for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • Edema or anticipated edema when ring will not slide off finger

  • Rings made of soft materials (eg, gold, silver, copper, plastic)

Contraindications to Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • None

Complications of Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • Laceration of underlying tissue

Equipment for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • Nonsterile gloves

  • Manual ring cutter

  • Hemostat or pliers

  • Eye protection (eg, face mask, goggles)

  • Sometimes a powered ring-cutting saw, bolt cutter, or vice grips

Additional Considerations for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • Sometimes, the ring can be removed easily by thoroughly lubricating the patient’s finger with a water-soluble lubricant, then using a circular motion with traction to twist off the ring the from the finger.

Relevant Anatomy for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • The site of maximum diameter (and obstruction to removal) is the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint.

Positioning for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • Patient comfort with excellent exposure of ring on finger

Step-by-Step Description for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • Slide the manual ring cutter's small hook (guard) under the ring to position the saw-toothed wheel that cuts the metal.

  • Position the saw-toothed wheel over the ring and cut through it, if necessary, a little bit at a time.

  • Alternate methods to cut the ring:

  • For rings made of hard material (eg, steel, cobalt, titanium), use a powered ring-cutting saw if available. If unavailable, a bolt cutter can also be used. Use eye protection for the patient and person performing the procedure because the pieces may shear off and become projectile.

  • Some rings made out of hard but brittle material (eg, ceramic, tungsten) can be broken into pieces by applying pressure with vice grips by slowly tightening the tension screw, which closes the grips tighter until the ring breaks. Because pieces of the ring may shatter and become projectile, eye protection is advised for the patient and person performing the procedure.

  • Spread apart the cut ends of the ring with a large hemostat or another tool (eg, pliers) and remove it.

Aftercare for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • A jeweler can usually repair rings cut in one or more places.

Warnings and Common Errors for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

Be aware of signs of finger ischemia, which is usually caused by the ring and indicates an urgent need to remove the ring:

  • Mottling

  • Blue-gray or white color of the distal digit

  • Very prolonged or absent capillary refill

  • No distal pulse by pulse oximetry

  • Severe pain

Tips and Tricks for Removing a Ring With a Ring Cutter

  • Remind the patient to remove all rings before finger edema develops and is extensive enough to cause pain or vascular compromise if there is ever risk of a finger injury.

  • If the tension is too great to spread the ring, another cut 180° from the original cut site can be made. This second cut allows the ring to fall off in two pieces.

  • For rings made of hard material, one person can pull on each side of the ring to open it; each can use a paper clip.

  • Hospital maintenance departments and fire rescue services may have cutting tools/pliers if paper clips are not readily available.

More Information

  1. Kalkan A, Kose O, Tas M, Meric G: Review of techniques for the removal of trapped rings on fingers with a proposed new algorithm. Am J Emerg Med 31(11):1605–1611, 2013. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2013.06.009

  2. Gardiner CL, Handyside K, Mazzillo J, et al: A comparison of two techniques for tungsten carbide ring removal. Am J Emerg Med 31(10):1516–9, 2013. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2013.07.027

  3. Asher CM, Fleet M, Bystrzonowski N: Ring removal: An illustrated summary of the literature. Eur J Emerg Med 27(4):268–273, 2020. doi: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000000658

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