The Shoulder
The Shoulder
55
Car accidentsclear-dove-660

Anyone else dealing with glass fragments still in their body years after a crash?

This might sound weird but I need to know if anyone else has gone through this.

I was in a pretty bad collision about two years ago — airbags deployed, my side window shattered completely, and I ended up with cuts all over my neck and shoulder area. I got stitched up at the ER and they sent me home.

Fast forward to now and I keep feeling this sharp, almost poking sensation in my upper shoulder near my neck whenever I move a certain way. I went back to my primary care doctor and after an X-ray she said she could see what looked like a small fragment — probably glass — still sitting in the tissue.

Here's where it gets frustrating: she basically shrugged and said "it's not in a dangerous spot, your body will encapsulate it." I've read about that happening but I'm also reading about people who had chronic pain and inflammation from retained fragments for YEARS before finally getting them out.

Has anyone actually pushed back on a doctor and gotten something like this removed? What did you say? Did you have to go to a specialist? And did insurance cover it since it was accident-related?

I'm not trying to be dramatic but this is affecting my daily life — I can't sleep on that side, I can't carry anything heavy without pain. It doesn't feel like something I should just "live with." Any experiences or advice appreciated. 🙏

13replies

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13 replies

  • 17
    clear-hare-348

    Yes, I had something similar after my accident — tiny fragment in my forearm that the ER basically ignored. My doctor gave me the same "your body will wall it off" speech. I ended up asking for a referral to a plastic surgeon who specializes in soft tissue stuff, and she was way more willing to actually DO something about it. It took persistence but it's worth pushing.

    • 6
      quiet-passenger892

      Wish I had seen this a month ago — would have saved me a lot of stress.

  • 15
    steady-bison-691

    So the "encapsulation" thing your doctor mentioned is real — your body does form scar tissue around foreign objects sometimes. But that doesn't mean it always works cleanly or without complications. Chronic inflammation, granulomas, ongoing nerve irritation — these are all legitimate reasons to pursue removal. I'd document every symptom with dates and specifically ask for a referral to a general surgeon or plastic surgeon. Bring up the phrase "symptomatic foreign body" — that's the clinical framing that tends to get doctors to take action rather than just watch and wait.

    • 20
      quiet-fox-502

      Not legal advice, but this is exactly the kind of ongoing injury that can have implications for any personal injury claim related to your accident. Retained foreign bodies with documented symptoms are a recognized category of harm. If you haven't already spoken with a PI attorney about your situation, it might be worth a free consultation just to understand where you stand — especially before you start racking up out-of-pocket medical costs you might be entitled to have covered.

    • 6
      patient-parent194

      Seconding this. The same approach worked for me last year.

    • 7
      plainspoken-overpass627

      Adding this: keep copies of every email. It mattered for me.

  • 14
    careful-swift-204

    Whatever you do, make sure you're tying ALL of this back to the accident in writing with your doctors. Insurance companies love to argue that ongoing treatment is "unrelated" to the original crash once enough time has passed. Get your physician to document explicitly that the fragment is a direct result of the collision. Don't let them quietly bill it as a separate issue.

    • 5
      honest-traveler371

      Going through something similar right now. Did following up actually move the needle for you?

  • 18
    clear-wren-780

    Jumping in here because I used to work on the claims side of things. If there's an open injury claim or even a potential one, the at-fault party's insurance should be covering reasonable and necessary medical treatment — and removal of a fragment causing documented symptoms absolutely qualifies as that. The tricky part is "documented." Every appointment, every complaint of pain, every symptom needs to be in your medical records clearly and consistently. Gaps or vague notes are what adjusters use to deny or minimize.

  • 7
    tidy-sparrow-917

    Stop waiting for your primary care doc to change her mind. Go get a second opinion, period. Find a surgeon — even just a general surgeon — describe your symptoms, and ask them to evaluate it independently. You're allowed to do that. You don't need your current doctor's permission to see someone else.

    • 7
      hopeful-commuter557

      Going through something similar right now. Did following up actually move the needle for you?

  • 19
    quick-elk-995

    I just want to say — trust your body. You know something is wrong. "It's not dangerous" and "it doesn't affect your life" are two very different things, and your doctor seems to be conflating them. You deserve to feel comfortable in your own body. Keep advocating for yourself. 💙

  • 21
    patient-lynx-540

    I don't want to be dismissive but I'm curious — did the X-ray confirm it's definitely glass? Some materials don't show well on X-ray and glass specifically can be tricky. Have they suggested an ultrasound or CT to get a clearer picture? I'd want to make sure everyone is certain of what they're looking at before jumping to removal, just because any procedure carries its own risks depending on where exactly it's sitting.