The Outcome of Retained Metallic Foreign Bodies in Upper and Lower Limbs…………...

Abstract

background: Retained metallic fragments represent a common problem thatcan be encountered in surgical practice.They could be bullets, part of bullets or other fragments and shells frombombs or mines or in rare occasion, different foreign particles from the environment.They are always the cause of patients complain to whom they refer their pain ordisabilities and sometime they insist for their removal.Operations for removal of deep retained foreign bodies are not beneficial, take longtime and consume a lot of materials and sometime could be very risky, cause moredamage and in some cases, ended without finding the foreign body.There are only few indications for removal of retained metallic fragments.Objectives: We want to assess the problem of retained metallic foreign bodies andfind the indications of their removal.Patients and Methods: This is a prospective study of 300 patients with retainedmetallic foreign bodies presented to the out-patient department of Alhindiya generalhospital between July 2006 and July 2008 with different complains.Results: Three hundred patients were included in this study, 264 patients(82%) weremales and 36 patients (18%)were females, 270 patients about (90%) presented withinthe first week after injury, 243 patients(81%) have foreign bodies in the upper andlower limbs, 45 patients(15%) in the trunk and 12 patients(4%) in the head & neck.Conclusion: Palpable foreign body can be removed safely and successfully in most ofthe cases while deep foreign body should not be removed unless there are indications.