Cuttack: In a remarkable medical feat, doctors at Cuttack’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics, popularly known as Sishu Bhawan, successfully removed a nail lodged in a child’s windpipe using a bronchoscope, without any surgical intervention.

The six-year-old boy, Binu, from Giringamali under Kalia Pani police limits in Jajpur district, accidentally swallowed a nail while on his way to school on July 23. The nail got stuck in his trachea. Soon after, he began coughing uncontrollably and experienced difficulty in breathing.

Initially, his family rushed him to a government hospital in Sukinda, but his condition did not improve. He was then shifted to a private hospital, where an X-ray revealed the presence of a sharp object in his windpipe. Following this, he was referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on July 24. However, even there, doctors expressed their inability to safely extract the object.

On the same day, around noon, Binu was admitted to Sishu Bhawan. The hospital authorities promptly formed a special medical team under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Prabhakar Mishra.

After nearly an hour-long delicate procedure using a bronchoscope, the doctors successfully removed the nail measuring about 1.5 inches from Binu’s windpipe. The team’s timely and precise action averted potentially fatal damage to the child’s trachea and lungs.

Binu has since recovered and is out of danger. He is expected to be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday.