J.J. Hospital doctors remove bullet lodged at base of skull near key brain artery

Doctors at J.J. Hospital have safely removed, through surgery, a bullet that struck a patient in a firing incident in Jalgaon. The bullet was lodged at the base of the skull, right next to a vital artery that supplies blood to the brain. Removing the one-centimetre bullet was a major challenge for the doctors, which they met successfully.

It has been stated that in the Jalgaon incident, a pistol was aimed at the person's temple. At that moment the person moved suddenly, so the bullet, instead of entering the brain, got stuck at the base of the skull. This averted the risk of direct injury to the brain.

The difficulty was still considerable. The skull base is considered an extremely delicate region for surgery. The bullet was lodged near the internal carotid artery, one of the main arteries that carry blood to the brain. Pinpointing the bullet's exact location and removing it without damaging the vital structures around it was the biggest question before the doctors. There was also a risk of injury to a blood vessel.

The operation was performed by doctors of the medical college and the Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals. Neuro-navigation, C-arm imaging and endoscopic techniques were used. Doctors from the neurosurgery and ENT (ear, nose and throat) departments worked in coordination to complete the complex surgery.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of Dr Vernon Velho, head of the neurosurgery department, and Dr Shrinivas Chavan, head of the ENT department. Dr Hrishikesh of neurosurgery, Dr Naveen Singh, assistant professor in ENT, Dr Anantan Krishnan of anaesthesia and resident doctor Dr Arundhi also played key roles. According to the hospital, removing a bullet from such a risky area reflects the way several J.J. Hospital departments work together to treat patients, and the skill of its doctors.

Dr Shrinivas Chavan of J.J. Hospital said, "The bullet was small and was lodged in an extremely delicate area around the brain. So finding its exact location was a big challenge. But with the help of C-arm, neuro-navigation and endoscopy, we could fix the bullet's location and remove it safely. It took about four hours to remove the bullet from this delicate part of the brain."

Dr Chavan also gave the dates. According to him, the shooting in Jalgaon took place on October 12. The patient was brought to J.J. Hospital on October 13, and the bullet was removed in an operation on October 14.