Doctors at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Karachi have successfully removed a bullet lodged in the heart of a 12-year-old boy, a procedure that medics are calling a rare and high-risk surgical success.
The child, a resident of Karachi, had been rushed to the facility following a stray bullet injury. The projectile had penetrated the chest wall and settled deep within the cardiac muscle, placing the boy in critical condition upon arrival.
The medical team faced a narrow window for intervention. Any delay risked catastrophic internal hemorrhaging or permanent damage to the heart’s chambers. Lead surgeons opted for an emergency thoracotomy—a major chest surgery—to access the heart and retrieve the foreign object without compromising the organ’s rhythm.
“The location of the bullet made this a complex case,” said a senior surgeon involved in the operation. “We had to navigate around vital vessels while maintaining the heart’s function throughout the extraction.”
The surgery lasted several hours. Following the extraction, the boy was moved to the intensive care unit for stabilization. Hospital administration confirmed that his condition is now improving and he is responding well to post-operative care.
Stray bullet incidents remain a recurring public health crisis in Karachi, often peaking during celebratory gunfire or localized disputes. While the NICVD frequently handles complex cardiac trauma, surgeons noted that pediatric cases involving direct heart penetration are exceptionally dangerous, leaving little room for error.
The boy remains under observation, with doctors expected to clear him for discharge once his recovery stabilizes over the coming days.
