Intraoperative Ultrasound for Extracting Deep-Seated Radio-Opaque Foreign Body from Calf

Abstract

Case: A 50-year-old man presented with chronic refractory symptoms of radiating leg pain with muscle cramps because of a retained bullet in the calf after being shot in 1990. Radiographs confirmed the bullet lodged in posterolateral aspect of calf abutting proximal fibula. An intraoperative point-of-care ultrasound aided in accurate localization of bullet, thereby facilitating precise planning of surgical incision and subsequent removal. Conclusions: Ultrasound can be used as an alternative tool for safe surgical extraction of deep-seated metallic object with minimal tissue dissection, obviating the need for C-arm.