BHU DOCTORS REMOVE COIN STUCK IN PATIENT’S WINDPIPE FOR 8 YEARS 

VARANASI : Doctors at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, have successfully performed a complex surgery to remove a 25 paise coin stuck in the windpipe of a patient for the past 8 years. The team of doctors comprising Cardio Thoracic Surgeons and Anaesthesiologists led by Prof Siddharth Lakhotia and Prof S K Mathur carried out the procedure that lasted around 20 minutes. Prof. Lakhotia said it is very unusual for foreign objects to go in the trachea (main windpipe) of an adult, which carries air to lungs, due to presence of strong cough reflex in adults. In children this is common.

Such a case where foreign body is lying for many years is very rarely reported, especially in adults. Prof Lakhotia said that previously one such case had been successfully treated by his team at the Sir Sunderlal Hospital of BHU. In that case the metallic key of godrej almirah was lying for 10 years and was then successfully removed.  

Such foreign bodies stuck in the windpipe are life threatening and can cause choking of patients, can lead to pneumonia, they may migrate distally and can cause collapse of lungs. Patients die due to difficulty in breathing or other complications.

Other doctors of the team are Dr Amrita from the Department of Anaesthesiology and Dr Ratnesh from the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery. 

Dr. Amrita said that such procedures demand a very high degree of precision and a slight degree of error can lead to life threatening complications. In this case an advanced rigid bronchoscope with light and ventilation channels was used to remove this impacted coin. Dr. Ratnesh said that this facility for removing foreign bodies from the windpipe of adults is available only in IMS, BHU in government hospitals of eastern UP.