Unlike in Hollywood movies, removing a bullet from a gunshot wound is one of the worst things that can happen after you get shot in real life. In fact, having a bullet dug out of your flesh or bone is almost as traumatic as the shooting itself. Once they stop moving, bullets are largely harmless, which is why most surgeons leave them in place while repairing the damage inflicted by their entry. Removing a bullet may harm the patient in several ways, but the most harmful is when it may be pressing against a damaged blood vessel. That’s because removing it may cause severe bleeding. While people often instinctively want to get rid of foreign metal objects in their bodies, removing a bullet is not a good idea unless leaving it in will cause even more harm.
