Gunshot wound to the heart and lung in a massively obese patient

The clinical course of a 354-pound patient who sustained a gunshot wound to the heart and lung is described. In the acutely injured morbidly obese patient, the physician must anticipate and prevent the following difficulties: pre-, peri- and postoperative pulmonary problems, venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, metabolic changes, and inadequate manpower for effective patient mobilization.