Brief Answer: Likely that he would walk again with a limp Detailed Answer: This is an interesting question. I have come across patients like this in my practice. The perpetrator of such crimes if experienced can vary the trajectory of the bullet to inflict a moderate or more significant amount of damage to the knee. If the bullet does pass through only the front of the knee (where the knee cap is) then this will still cause a major injury, but this is not a limb threatening injury. The patient will require major surgery to debride the wounds, fix any fractures and plastic surgery to cover any wounds after debridement however the limb should survive. The victim will have a permanent disability following the injury it terms of knee pain, a limp and the need to use a walking aid. Basically if you do not have a quadriceps mechanism to straighten your knee then you are unable to walk and if you have ongoing dysfunction of the quadriceps mechanism it will cause a limp and difficulty in the patient supporting his own weight. If the bullet trajectory is through the back of the knee then it is likely that the major neuromuscular structure will be damaged and the only option for the patient may be an amputation. General when treating these wounds there is an area around the bullet tract where the energy imparted to the tissue causes the tissue to die. These dead tissues all need to be removed including any foreign material. This included revitalized dead bone. You can be left with quite a defect in the tissues after debridement. In general nowadays most surgeons would not go 'chasing' the bullet for fear of causing damage to other structure unless it was in an easily accessible place. I hope this is the type of information you are looking for. I'm happy to answer any further questions.

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Brief Answer: Police would accompany Detailed Answer: hi, the police would generally accompany the patient to the hospital and stay outside the patients room. in shootings the patients often have an armed escort to protect them and the healthcare staff from further violent action. friends or family would not be allowed in the operating room but would be allowed in the ER if the patient was stable and on the ward hope this helps

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Brief Answer: SEE ANSWERS IN BOLD BELOW Detailed Answer: Roughly how long would it take doctors to treat a man with both kneecaps shot TIME IN THE OPERATING ROOM WOULD BE AROUND 3-6 HOURS DEPENDING ON EXACTLY WHAT WAS DONE. MULITPLE SURGERIES WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE INITIAL SURGERY WOULD BE FOR DEBRIDEMENT AND IRRIGATION OF THE WOUNDS. ANY FRACTURES WOULD BE FIXED, MAYBE ONLY TEMPORARILY. THE WOUNDS MAY BE LEFT OPEN AND/ OR VACUUM DRESSINGS (VAC) APPLIED. roughly how long until he'd be bandaged up and able to go home? 2-3 WEEKS AFTER MULTIPLE SURGERIES. THE ULTIMATE SURGERY MAY BE TO GET SOFT TISSUE COVERAGE OF THE WOUND BY THE PLASTIC SURGEONS. What would the doctor say to the patient before they left the hospital? THE DOCTOR WOULD INSTRUCT THE PATIENT AS TO THEIR WEIGHT BEARING STATUS. IF BOTH KNEECAPS THEY MAY BE IN A WHEELCHAIR ONLY STANDING TO TRANSFER. THEY MAY BE USING CRUTCHES OR A WALKING FRAME. PARTIALLY WEIGHBEARING OR WEIGHTBEARING AS TOLERATED. USUALLY AN APPOINTMENT WOULD BE MADE FOR 10-14 DAYS TIME FOR A WOUND CHECK. THE PATIENT MAY BE ASKED TO KEEP THE DRESSINGS CLEAN AND DRY UNTIL THEN. Also, I'm somewhat confused as to what rooms such a patient would be taken to, and in what order? From your above answer I would guess that he'd be taken to the operating room first, have the wound cleaned out and bandaged up, and then taken to the Emergency Room? Or would they be taken to their own room? THE PATIENT WOULD BE ADMITTED AND HAVE IMMEDIATE TREATMENT IN THE ER WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE IV'S PLACED, BLOOD DRAWN AND XR'S TAKEN. THEY WOULD LIKELY BE SEEN AND ASSESSED BY THE TRAUMA TEAM INITIALLY. THEY WOULD BE GIVEN IV FLUIDS AND BLOOD IF NECESSARY, PAIN MEDS, ANTIBIOTICS AND A TETANUS SHOT. ONCE THEY WERE STABLE AND ALL INJURIES HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED THEN THE PATIENT WOULD BE TAKEN DIRECTLY TO THE OR. FROM THE OR THEY WOULD GO TO THE WARD / FLOOR OR THE ICU IF THEY WERE VERY SICK.

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