Doctors extract 3.5-cm pin Goa teen swallowed while tying scarf
MUMBAI: Last month, doctors from Mumbai extracted a 3.5-cm pin from the lungs an 18-yearold. The patient, a resident of Goa, had accidentally swallowed the pin while tying a scarf. She had held the pin between her teeth.
While the incident took place on November 21, the pin was extracted on November 27.
Soon after the incident, the teenager’s family rushed her to a hospital near their residence in Goa. An x-ray revealed that the pin was stuck in the lungs. Initially. The local doctors tried to extract the pin through endoscopy, but failed.
“She went from one hospital to another [three medical colleges and two hospitals in Goa] — but none of the doctors could help her. One of them even suggested surgical extraction of the pin, but the family refused,” said a doctor from Zen Multispecialty Hospital, Chembur, where the pin was eventually extracted through bronchoscopy.
The family came to Mumbai after they were referred to pulmonologist Dr Arvind Kate.
“Delay in extracting the pin could have damaged blood vessels of heart and lungs. Also, there was a risk of infection, as the metallic object was inside the body for almost a week,” said Kate.
Another doctor said performing endoscopy was risky, as the pin could have ruptured blood vessels or punctured other internal organs. So they decide to perform bronchoscopy.
Kate said, “Extracting the pin through bronchoscopy was difficult, as it had pierced lung parenchyma (a portion of lung) and was lodged vertically in the lower chest. But everything went well.”
The woman’s brother said, “She is responding well to the treatment. We want to thank the doctors for saving my sister’s life.”