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A 7-year-old boy underwent a life-saving procedure after accidentally swallowing a 5 cm long needle while playing. Led by Chief Interventional Pulmonologist Dr. Tinku Joseph and team, the delicate removal operation of the needle was executed through rigid bronchoscopy.

The incident occurred when the child, from the Maldives, inadvertently ingested a large needle (hijab pin) used in clothes when playing with it, on the 22nd of December. Immediate medical attention was sought at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in the Maldives, where an X-ray revealed the needle dangerously positioned horizontally at the base of the left lung near the lower lobe.

Due to continued heavy coughing and bleeding, the child was airlifted to Kochi for specialized treatment under the care of Dr. Tinku Joseph, here at Amrita Hospital, Kochi. The three-and-a-half-hour rigid bronchoscopy procedure, assisted by Dr. Devika in the Anesthesia Department and Dr. Sriraj Nair in the Pulmonology Department, successfully removed the needle after bending its tip inside the lung to minimize risks.

Dr. Tinku Joseph highlighted the exceptional challenge posed by the needle's proximity to major blood vessels leading to the heart. The successful removal without resorting to open surgery demonstrated the rare expertise of rigid bronchoscopy in such cases. The child, now discharged from the hospital, is set to return to the Maldives with his parents, marking a triumphant resolution to a potentially life-threatening situation.