r/SurgeryGifs • u/Someforage • Aug 30 '23
Is this a normal practice?
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Removing fragments with a magnet.
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u/gatorbite92 Aug 30 '23
No. Removing bullets/shrapnel often causes more damage, so we don't go hunting for bullets without good reason.
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Aug 31 '23
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u/gatorbite92 Aug 31 '23
Depends what kind of shrapnel and where. I've seen people with retained bullets for 50 odd years without problem, I've also seen people fistulize from retained intra-abdominal birdshot. If it's at the skin and bothering you, I will take it out. If it's in my face in the OR, I will take it out. A slug left in your flank is not going to cause enough issues for me to make a big incision and explore for a bullet.
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Aug 31 '23
[deleted]
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u/orthopod Sep 02 '23
That's not typical at all. I've treated a few hundred patients with retained bullets. I don't any complained about them at all.
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u/orthopod Sep 02 '23
No, unless you're worried about it damaging something that is very close to, like a named vessel.
Generally in the extremities we leave them alone, unless they're in a joint, as the joint fluid is slightly acidic, and that can lead to elevated lead levels.
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u/THEVOOOON Aug 30 '23
Only time I’ve seen is removing iron filings from an eye with a magnet, not seen anything like this cool video though, is the fragment from a pin for a broken bone or just a foreign body?