New Delhi: 20-year-old Mohamed Faisal Jama is set to return to normal life after carrying a bullet dangerously close to his spine for nearly six years, thanks to the doctors in the capital who performed the complex five-hour surgery. A teenage Jama was returning from school when he was caught in crossfire at a local protest in Ethiopia and sustained the critical injury.The bullet entered through Jama’s shoulder, travelled across his chest cavity and finally got lodged at the junction of the posterior part of a rib and the spine. Though his spinal cord escaped injury, the stuck bullet caused persistent pain, tingling, numbness and constant anxiety over the possibility of damage to vital organs.At the time of the injury, doctors in Ethiopia decided against surgery due to significant risks involved in operating so close to the spine. However, as the symptoms persisted, Jama travelled to India seeking advanced medical care.A multidisciplinary team at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, led by Dr Kamran Ali, associate director, thoracic surgery and lung transplant, conducted detailed clinical and radiological assessments before deciding to undertake the demanding procedure.“Although the spinal cord had fortunately escaped injury at the time of the gunshot, removing the bullet required meticulous surgical planning because of its proximity to the spine and other vital structures. During the procedure, we removed the posterior end of the affected rib along with a portion of the adjacent vertebral bone to safely reach and extract the bullet while protecting the surrounding structures,” Dr Ali said.He explained that retained bullets in such cases are not always removed immediately, as surgery may initially pose greater risks than leaving them in place. The decision depends on factors like the bullet’s location, associated symptoms, proximity to vital organs and nerves, and the patient’s overall condition.Jama was discharged in four days. “Over the years, I learnt to live with it, but I wanted a permanent solution. That is what brought me here. I thank the doctors for giving me a new sense of relief and confidence,” he said.
