Circumstances of Injury:

I made a conscious decision to stand up and defend my country.

On March 7, 2025, we were waiting to evacuate the wounded. I stayed behind to help the guys. That’s when two guided aerial bombs (KABs) struck. After that—nothing. I blacked out. I woke up in the hospital and was told I had been in a coma.

At first, I didn’t understand what had happened or how badly I was hurt. It felt like I’d been ripped out of life, and now I had to fight my way back—slowly, step by step.

This experience changed how I see things. I talk to my family more now. I stay connected. I’ve realized the most important thing in life is the people who are there for you.

Diagnosis:

The patient sustained multiple injuries as a result of a mine-explosion trauma on March 7, 2025.

• Multiple open, non-penetrating gunshot shrapnel wounds to the head

• Mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) and localized subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain’s outer layers)

• Several shrapnel wounds to the scalp with loss of soft tissue in the left temporal-parietal area, containing numerous foreign fragments

• Multiple shrapnel wounds and grazes to the face, nose, and left side of the neck

• Numerous abrasions on the neck, torso, and left lower limb

• Shrapnel wounds to the left shoulder girdle and left front chest wall

• Gunshot fracture of the distal part of the left humerus (upper arm bone)

• Soft tissue loss in the left forearm

• Closed fracture of the proximal phalanx of the fifth finger and second metacarpal bone of the left hand

• Shrapnel grazing injury to the left shin

Surgical treatment included:

• Primary surgical cleaning of the gunshot wounds on March 7, 2025

• Metal osteosynthesis (bone fixation) of the left upper limb using an external fixation device (“shoulder-to-forearm” type)

• Multiple staged surgical wound treatments

• Removal of the external fixation device on May 2, 2025

Possible Complications Without Treatment:

Infections:
Without timely surgical cleaning, debris such as shrapnel, dirt, and clothing fragments remain in the tissues, which almost always leads to severe inflammation, bloodstream infection (sepsis), and abscess formation — conditions that can be life-threatening.

Loss of Limb or Function:
Without proper fracture stabilization and wound care, the arm would have become deformed or potentially amputated due to tissue death (necrosis) or infection. Fingers, hand, and shoulder could lose mobility entirely.

Brain Function Impairment:
Untreated head trauma, brain concussion, and bleeding may result in memory loss, speech and vision problems, coordination disorders, seizures, or even permanent disability caused by complications such as hydrocephalus or secondary hemorrhages.

Loss of Independence:
Combined injuries to the head, limbs, chest, and face, if left untreated, could lead to complete loss of ability to work, dependence on others for daily care, and lifelong disability.

Clinical Decision:

Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF)

Open Reduction is a surgical procedure where doctors make an incision to access the broken bone and manually realign the fragments into their proper positions. This is necessary when the bone pieces are displaced or shattered to the point that they cannot heal correctly on their own or with closed methods.

Internal Fixation (also called metal osteosynthesis) involves securing the bone fragments using special metal devices such as plates, screws, pins, or rods. This hardware holds the bone in the correct position to allow proper healing. Internal fixation can be either fully inside the body or partially external — for example, an external fixation device like the Ilizarov apparatus.