Surgery, gynecology & obstetrics
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In patients having missile wounds, the most bizarre trajectories and lodgment sites have been reported. Entry of the missile into the blood stream and subsequent embolization is quite an uncommon event. Isolated reports published in the literature date back to the beginning of the century. ⋯ In such instances, a thoracotomy is recommended. The alternative treatment in the instances reported herein, conceived and successfully performed by us, was embolectomy through percutaneous cardiovascular catheterization. As a novel procedure, the method has proved effective and liable to minimal risk.