HYDERABAD: Specialists at Apollo Hospitals performed a minimally invasive abdominal surgery on a 50 year old patient from Somalia, Mahmud, suffering from a bullet injury, which he sustained nine months ago. Dr P Siva Charan Reddy, Consultant Surgical Gastroenterologist, Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, and his team said they performed a critical laparoscopic surgery to retrieve the bullet with minimal damage to the liver, where it was deeply entrenched.
The patient reportedly came to Apollo Hospitals with a complaint of continuous pain in the abdomen, which he was enduring since the injury. The excruciating pain prevented him from performing his regular routine and lead a normal life. His visits to several doctors and hospitals both within his country and India, proved futile. He was advised surgical removal of the bullet through the conventional open surgery, which needed cutting open of the abdomen and slicing of a part of the liver. Considering the high risk involved and the prolonged period of recovery, the doctors and the patient were reluctant to proceed.
At Apollo Hospitals, Dr Reddy on evaluating the patient opted to perform a laparoscopic surgery to remove the bullet and limit any damage to the liver. Two small holes of 0.5 cm were made in the abdomen, with the help of specialised instruments the exact location of the bullet was identified and it was removed preserving the liver and the surrounding important structures. The surgery was done with minimal blood loss and scars and the patient was discharged within 24 hours. The conventional or open surgery would have left a large scar of about 15 - 20 cms in length and post operative recovery would have taken about a week to ten days, said Dr Reddy.