NEIGRIHMS doctors remove 3-ft rod from 11-yr-old’s chest

SHILLONG, June 13: In a rare medical feat, the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) of NEIGRIHMS successfully removed a three-foot long iron rod which had punctured the right chest of an 11-year-old child from Jaintia Hills.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the CVTS Department said that the child reported to the casualty ward last week with a history of fall landing his chest on a 3-foot long iron rod.
The child was impaled with this rod puncturing the right chest, traversed behind the right collar bone ending behind at the nape of the neck, the statement said.
“A CT scan revealed the penetration course of the iron rod grazing the great vessels and nerves supplying right upper limb. In view of the risk to the blood supply of the right upper limb which would result in its amputation, a decision for emergent removal of the rod was taken,” the statement said.
The anesthesiology team consisted of Dr Kaustuv Dutta and Dr Sonia Nahakpam while the surgery was conducted by the cardiothoracic team led by Dr Reuben Lamiaki Kynta, Dr Dathia Tongper, Dr Biman Chandra Sinha and Dr L Janendro Singh.
“The right chest was opened, explored and rod extracted with controlled manipulation to minimise injury to the great vessels and nerves supplying right upper limb which were inspected and control of bleeding was done,” the statement said, adding that the patient has made a smooth recovery with restoration of full function and mobility of his right upper limb.
The statement also advised that in any case of impalements or stabs due to foreign bodies, no attempt to remove the object should be made and the patient should be transported to a medical facility as soon as possible.