# Surgery for shotgun injury?



## Zepp (Feb 14, 2006)

This is really a medical question, but it's firearm related, and inspired by current events, so I thought I'd ask here.

When a person has been wounded with shotgun pellets, will doctors usually attempt to remove the majority of the pellets with surgery, or do most of them get left in there?  And does the decision to remove pellets depend on whether the wound was caused by birdshot or buckshot?

Someone without much gun experience is curious.


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## Bigshadow (Feb 14, 2006)

Zepp said:
			
		

> This is really a medical question, but it's firearm related, and inspired by current events, so I thought I'd ask here.
> 
> When a person has been wounded with shotgun pellets, will doctors usually attempt to remove the majority of the pellets with surgery, or do most of them get left in there?  And does the decision to remove pellets depend on whether the wound was caused by birdshot or buckshot?
> 
> Someone without much gun experience is curious.


It would depend on how deep the pellets penetrate.  Small shot such as what happened recently, if hit from a moderate distance of 30 or 40, maybe 50 yards, it may not penetrate beyond the surface of the skin on a human.  If this is the case, I suspect it will be more tweezer work than anything.  buckshot on the other hand may penetrate far into the body and would require surgery. 

The bottom line, is I think it depends on the depth of penetration and where the pellets are.


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## sgtmac_46 (Feb 14, 2006)

Zepp said:
			
		

> This is really a medical question, but it's firearm related, and inspired by current events, so I thought I'd ask here.
> 
> When a person has been wounded with shotgun pellets, will doctors usually attempt to remove the majority of the pellets with surgery, or do most of them get left in there? And does the decision to remove pellets depend on whether the wound was caused by birdshot or buckshot?
> 
> Someone without much gun experience is curious.


 Bigshadow's right, at 30 to 50 yards, bird shot may barely penetrate the skin.  Buckshot at that range, much deeper.  I've got a buddy still carrying around some birdshot from a similar hunting situation.  It wasn't in the upper-torso, however, but rather in the lower extremeties, and some minor first aid, and he was back in the hunt.

Even when projectiles penetrate deep in the body, their location may preclude surgery, as the risk of surgery in that location far exceeds any risk presented by the projectile.  So, it's possible you may end up with a lifetime souvenir.


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## Zepp (Feb 14, 2006)

sgtmac_46 said:
			
		

> Buckshot at that range, much deeper. I've got a buddy still carrying around some birdshot from a similar hunting situation.


 
Next question: does he have problems setting off metal detectors? (Sorry, had to ask.)


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## terryl965 (Feb 14, 2006)

I would imagine so if the buck shot is still there. Terry


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## sgtmac_46 (Feb 15, 2006)

Zepp said:
			
		

> Next question: does he have problems setting off metal detectors? (Sorry, had to ask.)


 Depends on how sensitive the metal detector is.  Birdshot is pretty small.  If it's sensitive enough, certainly.


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## shesulsa (Feb 15, 2006)

Zepp said:
			
		

> Next question: does he have problems setting off metal detectors? (Sorry, had to ask.)


Depends.  In cases like this, though, many doctors issue cards people can carry describing why they set it off - surgical implants can set them off too, depending upon the type of metal, certain shunts, etcetera.


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