Koraput: In a rare, life-saving surgical feat, doctors at Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital in Odisha's Koraput district successfully removed an arrow lodged deep inside the stomach of a youth on Tuesday. 

The patient, Laxman Gouda of Paknaguda village in Mathili block in Malkangiri district, was shifted to Koraput in a critical condition after preliminary treatment at the district headquarters hospital in Malkangiri. He had been shot with an arrow by another local on Monday evening.

Doctors at SLNMCH said by the time he reached the hospital, Laxman had lost nearly 1.5 litre blood as the arrow had penetrated almost six inches into his stomach cutting through his intestine at two places. He was immediately operated upon at around 10 pm, given the excessive loss of blood. 

After a challenging two and half hours of surgery, the team of surgeons and anesthesiologists including Dr Mrutyunjay Mallick, Dr Subhabrat Das, Dr Abhishek Patra, Dr Gopal Krishna Nayak and Dr Gayatri Mallick, finally managed to remove the arrow.

As per the doctors, the removal of the arrow was extremely tricky and complicated given its precarious position. However, the operative procedure was successful with meticulous efforts of the surgical team.

"Any delay in the surgery would have cost the man his life as the arrow had severed his intestine. Thankfully, the patient is now out of danger. He is recuperating and stable," one of the doctors told mediapersons.

The successful completion of the operation was lauded by the entire medical fraternity at the college as a remarkable feat. 

The patient's kin also expressed their gratitude for saving his life.