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.
The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The informed consent
of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies.
No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.
