Case report: Ultrasound-guided removal of foreign matter from the chest wall

Positioning nodule with a steel wire in pulmonary surgery is a common preoperative step. To date, no reports have been published on the retention of steel wires in the body post-surgery, nor have there been studies describing the ultrasound-guided removal of foreign objects from the chest wall. This report describes a case of a foreign matter was removed from the chest wall by ultrasound-guided.

A 70-year-old woman underwent thoracoscope resection of a pulmonary nodule; however, a fragment of the positioning steel wire remained in the chest wall during the surgery. The anesthetist located the residual steel wire using ultrasound, and subsequently, the surgeon successfully removed it.

Detection of foreign matter in the body is rare and usually associated with trauma or accidental retention of materials such as absorbable gelatin sponges or sutures during surgery, which are often found using X-rays. This process is often time-consuming, and X-rays being radioactive are potentially harmful to patients and medical workers. Ultrasonic waves are safe and offer a convenient alternative for such procedures. We removed the residual steel wire through a 0.5 cm skin incision, this method neither caused trauma nor increased costs.

Ultrasonography-assisted positioning is a rapid, convenient, and safe technique, promising to enhance future surgical interventions.