Koraput: In a rare and life-saving medical feat, doctors at Sahid Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, Koraput, successfully removed an arrow lodged deep inside the stomach of a young man from Malkangiri district after a grueling two-and-a-half-hour surgery.
The patient, Laxman Gouda of Paknaguda village in Mathili block, was attacked with an arrow by fellow villager Vishwanath Gouda on Monday evening. The arrow pierced his abdomen, severing his intestine in two places and penetrating nearly six inches into the stomach.
After receiving first aid at the Malkangiri District Headquarters Hospital, Laxman was shifted to Koraput in critical condition. Doctors said he had already lost nearly 1.5 liters of blood when he arrived around 8:15 pm. By 10:15 pm, he was rushed to the operation theatre, where a team of surgeons and anesthesiologists battled against time.
The surgical team included Dr. Subhabrat Das (Associate Professor, Surgery), Dr. Abhishek Patra (Assistant Professor, Surgery), Dr. Mrutyunjay Mallick (Associate Professor, Anesthesia), Dr. Gopal Krishna Nayak, and Dr. Gayatri Mallick. The doctors said anesthesia was itself a challenge due to the arrow’s position, but once stabilized, the team worked meticulously until 1 am to remove the arrow and repair the injuries.
“The arrow was lodged in such a way that it ran across the stomach, cutting through the intestine. If there had been any delay in shifting him, survival would have been difficult,” one of the doctors said.
The patient is now out of danger and recovering. The successful operation is being hailed as a rare surgical achievement at the medical college. The patient’s family has expressed deep gratitude to the medical team for saving his life.
