The doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, saved the life of a 9-year-old boy by removing a 4 cm length stitching needle that was lodged in the boy’s lung.

According to the official statement given by the hospital, the successful medical intervention marked the first instance of removing such sharp foreign bodies without resorting to open surgery in any pediatrics center in Odisha.

The patient is a 9-year-old boy, who hailed from the state of West Bengal. The boy was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar after aspirating a stitching needle, which is about four centimeters in length into the left lower lobe bronchus lateral segment of the lungs. The initial checkups were performed.

A team of expert pediatricians consisting of Dr. Rashmi Ranjan Das, Dr. Krishna M Gulla, Dr. Ketan, and Dr. Ramakrishna competently conducted a bronchoscopic intervention to extract the needle without experiencing any complications.

Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, the Executive Director of the Hospital congratulated the doctors, applauding their life-saving procedure. He also mentioned that the complete medical procedure took one hour, and following the treatment, the child was hospitalized for four days as he is now on the road to recovery.

Dr. Krishna M Gulla said this innovative procedure is available at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and only a few centres across India. It utilizes less invasive flexible bronchoscopy for the removal of sharp airway foreign bodies. He also said that AIIMS Bhubaneswar boasts a dedicated pediatric paleontology and ICU team, performing bronchoscopic interventions from neonatal age to 15 years to providing comprehensive care under one roof, an unprecedented service that is still not available in Odisha’s private sector.

Dr. Rashmi Ranjan Das stressed that such a surgery could have endangered the boy's health, probably needing the removal of a portion of the lungs.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina)