Ukrainian surgeon Major General Andrii Verba performed surgery on a soldier who had a live grenade lodged in his body while fully aware that the grenade could explode at any time, local authorities reported.
Regional Governor Serhii Borzov shared a post Monday night, detailing the delicate nature of this incredibly rare, high-risk surgical procedure. “The operation look place in the presence of two sappers who supervised the safety of the medical staff and the patient,” Borzov wrote to Facebook, according to an automatic translation reviewed and edited by Daily Caller staff. “The operation lasted in the presence of two sappers who supervised the safety of the medical staff and the patient,” he said. “One of the most experienced surgeons of the Armed Forces, Major General Andriy Verba, operated without electrocoagulation, as the grenade could have detonated at any time.”
The social media post included photographs of the x-ray that showed the grenade lodged in the soldier’s torso, as well as an image of the surgeon covered in blood while holding the bloody grenade in his hand.
“The operational intervention was successful and the injured soldier was sent to further rehabilitation and recovery,” Borzov wrote. The VOG grenade was fired from a grenade launcher that was reportedly attached to an assault rifle, according to the New York Post. (RELATED: Former Child Star Dawn Lyn In Coma Following Brain Surgery)
The identity and age of the wounded soldier have not been revealed at this time.
Dr. Verba is considered to be one of Ukraine’s “most experienced surgeons,” and has been based in the Donbas region since 2014, according to the Daily Mail.