NEW DELHI: Doctors at Max Superspeciality Hospital in Delhi's Saket area extracted a 2cm bullet from the left lung of a 45-year-old man who was shot 16 years ago. The bullet was lodged near the patient's heart, making the surgery very complicated.
The patient, Shailendra Singh, was allegedly shot in 2008 following a personal dispute and subsequently underwent conservative management in his hometown of Kanpur.
Following the injury, he consulted multiple doctors in the city, requesting the surgical removal of the bullet lodged in his lung. However, due to the precarious position of the projectile, the doctors declined to operate.
Doctors at Max hospital said that the patient remained free of symptoms until last year when he began experiencing pain on the left side of his chest, accompanied by the expectoration of blood (haemoptysis).
As time progressed, the amount and frequency of blood in his cough steadily increased, causing growing concern for his well-being.
On July 12, the patient sought medical advice at Max hospital and underwent investigations. The CT scan indicated the presence of a bullet in the left lung hilum, accompanied by collapse consolidation of the lung (lingula).
Three days later, on July 15, the patient experienced a severe episode of haemoptysis and reached out for urgent assistance. He was subsequently admitted to the hospital on July 16.
Dr. Shaiwal Khandelwal, Associate Director of Thoracic Surgery, informed TOI that an emergency bronchoscopy was performed on the patient.
The procedure showed "a bullet pressing upon the airway with active bleeding from the left upper lobe of the lung with a possibility of bronchovascular fistula."
Due to the severity of the situation, the patient was rushed into emergency surgery. During the operation, the surgeons removed the bullet along with the damaged portion of the lung, which amounted to one-quarter of the left lung.
Following the five-hour-long surgery, the patient made a good recovery and no longer experienced haemoptysis. A post-operative bronchoscopy showed signs of healing in the airways without any further bleeding. The patient was discharged from the hospital on July 22.
Dr. Khandelwal explained that surgical intervention for bullet wounds in the chest is typically performed after the patient has stabilised and recovered from the initial trauma.
In cases where bullets are situated in precarious positions but do not cause any noticeable symptoms, they are generally left untouched. However, there are instances where these embedded bullets can trigger foreign body reactions and potentially migrate, invading crucial anatomical structures, as observed in this particular patient.
The occurrence of a long-standing, deeply lodged bullet leading to life-threatening haemorrhage is an exceptionally uncommon phenomenon, he added.
Singh, a farmer who also runs a milk business, spoke with TOI about his health. He said that his condition had improved since the surgery.
“Upon arrival at the hospital, my situation was dire, as I was coughing blood in huge quantity,” he said while expressing satisfaction with his recovery. Singh looks forward to returning to his daily life and work once he is fully healed.
The patient, Shailendra Singh, was allegedly shot in 2008 following a personal dispute and subsequently underwent conservative management in his hometown of Kanpur.
Following the injury, he consulted multiple doctors in the city, requesting the surgical removal of the bullet lodged in his lung. However, due to the precarious position of the projectile, the doctors declined to operate.
Doctors at Max hospital said that the patient remained free of symptoms until last year when he began experiencing pain on the left side of his chest, accompanied by the expectoration of blood (haemoptysis).
As time progressed, the amount and frequency of blood in his cough steadily increased, causing growing concern for his well-being.
On July 12, the patient sought medical advice at Max hospital and underwent investigations. The CT scan indicated the presence of a bullet in the left lung hilum, accompanied by collapse consolidation of the lung (lingula).
Three days later, on July 15, the patient experienced a severe episode of haemoptysis and reached out for urgent assistance. He was subsequently admitted to the hospital on July 16.
Dr. Shaiwal Khandelwal, Associate Director of Thoracic Surgery, informed TOI that an emergency bronchoscopy was performed on the patient.
The procedure showed "a bullet pressing upon the airway with active bleeding from the left upper lobe of the lung with a possibility of bronchovascular fistula."
Due to the severity of the situation, the patient was rushed into emergency surgery. During the operation, the surgeons removed the bullet along with the damaged portion of the lung, which amounted to one-quarter of the left lung.
Following the five-hour-long surgery, the patient made a good recovery and no longer experienced haemoptysis. A post-operative bronchoscopy showed signs of healing in the airways without any further bleeding. The patient was discharged from the hospital on July 22.
Dr. Khandelwal explained that surgical intervention for bullet wounds in the chest is typically performed after the patient has stabilised and recovered from the initial trauma.
In cases where bullets are situated in precarious positions but do not cause any noticeable symptoms, they are generally left untouched. However, there are instances where these embedded bullets can trigger foreign body reactions and potentially migrate, invading crucial anatomical structures, as observed in this particular patient.
The occurrence of a long-standing, deeply lodged bullet leading to life-threatening haemorrhage is an exceptionally uncommon phenomenon, he added.
Singh, a farmer who also runs a milk business, spoke with TOI about his health. He said that his condition had improved since the surgery.
“Upon arrival at the hospital, my situation was dire, as I was coughing blood in huge quantity,” he said while expressing satisfaction with his recovery. Singh looks forward to returning to his daily life and work once he is fully healed.
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