In an ingenious move, Dr. Eyal Sela thought up a creative and unexpected solution for detecting shrapnel in soldiers injured in the head and neck – a simple metal detector purchased from AliExpress.
In an interview on "Kalman and Lieberman" on Kan Reshet Bet, Dr. Sela shared how this basic device has transformed the way shrapnel is located in war-injured soldiers, saving significant time and reducing complications.
"The metal detector is very precise, shortening our surgeries. [Athough] every medical device needs approval ... I had no choice. We find the shrapnel quickly and with fewer complications," Dr. Sela explained. "I bought two devices, placed them in the operating room, and use them when needed."
Dr. Sela, an ENT specialist at the Galilee Medical Center, got the idea after a soldier, injured by Hezbollah gunfire in Lebanon, was brought to his department with a bullet at the base of his skull. "I knew where the bullet was but couldn't locate it. I thought to myself, 'If I had a metal detector, I would find it quickly.'"
He ordered the metal detector online, which beeps when it nears shrapnel. Since then, he has used it to remove shrapnel from several patients, including a soldier recently wounded in a drone attack in Hurfeish.