Foreign body removal

If you have a foreign body like a splinter of wood or glass or metal in your hand, it may be amenable to removal in the office. This is usually limited to foreign bodies that can be felt through the skin, or that can be seen by fluoroscopy or ultrasound. Foreign bodies that are lodged deep within the hand should be removed in a more formal operating room setting. In the office, a local anesthetic agent is injected into the skin and soft tissue around the foreign body. A scalpel is used to make a small incision over the object, and it is removed. Fluoroscopy or ultrasound may be used to confirm that it has been removed completely. Sutures are used to close the incision, and a dressing is applied that should stay on (clean and dry) for about 1 week, at which point the sutures are removed here in the office.