Removal of an Embedded Taser Probe in the Glans Penis in the Operating Room

Using conducted electrical weapons (CEW) to incapacitate aggressive, hostile adults as a less-than-lethal approach has become a common law enforcement practice. The most widely used CEW in law enforcement worldwide is the Taser. The target is subdued when an electric circuit is established between two probes, delivering enough energy to cause pain and muscle incapacitation. Injuries and hospitalizations are rare and mainly occur from dart penetration. Removing the dart is usually straightforward and performed by either the target or law enforcement. No previous cases of glans penis injuries from Taser dart penetration have been reported. To our knowledge, no previous cases of glans penis injuries requiring urological surgery from Taser dart penetration have been reported based on a Medline search of the English language literature using the words Taser, case reports, and injury. A 44-year-old male was struck in the glans penis by an X2 Taser dart during a violent disturbance at the County Jail. He was taken to the Emergency Department because the dart was embedded in his penis just above his distal urethra and was deeply embedded. Urology removed the dart in the operating room by advancing the first barb, cutting it off, then backing out the second barb. The urethra was undamaged. Because of the location of the penetration, the decision-making process for probe removal was challenging. When taser dart removal is not straightforward, the type of dart and the location of the probe relative to surrounding structures may require changing strategies to safely remove the projectile while protecting the surrounding tissue.