Videothoracoscopic removal of a foreign body (arrow-shaped element) of gunshot origin from the vertebral body, using radiation and magnetic technologies

Abstract

Gunshot wounds to the chest have always occupied a special place among the entire set of gunshot wounds on the human body. Today, the one of the important challenges before the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, – not only to restore the damaged anatomical structures of the chest, but also to create optimal conditions for the restoration of the functional component. This will make possible to reduce the treatment period of a wounded serviceman and return him to the formation (or to the occupied position) as soon as possible. The use of minimally invasive methods (videothoracoscopy, radiation control and magnetic technologies) during the treatment of a wounded person with a penetrating gunshot wound of the chest is the key in the surgeon’s hands whose task is to save life and eliminate the defect (formed as a result of the wound). This approach is not only an example of highly specialised surgical care for the wounded in the navy, but also demonstrates the high quality of the proposed care scheme. Purpose – practically implement new organisational, tactical and professional approaches to the treatment of gunshot wounds to the thorax using a clinical case study. It is presented the clinical case of wounded man Sh., 35 years old, with a gunshot fragmentation blind wound of the posterior surface of the thorax, gunshot fracture of the Th7 vertebral body on the background of a foreign body (metal arrowhead). In the current world literature, there are many options for surgical tactics for the treatment of wounded patients with penetrating gunshot wounds to the chest. However, our clinical case draws attention to the high relevance of applying and combining minimally invasive techniques (video-othoracoscopy, radiation control and magnetic technology). This makes it possible to reduce the time (or duration) of surgical intervention, perform an «extended» revision of the pleural cavity, examine and assess the condition of the wound canal, remove a foreign body (shrapnel, bullets, arrowhead component), compensate for respiratory failure phenomena as quickly as possible and restore the integrity and function of the thoracic cells.