Bhubaneswar: In a rare and challenging surgery, doctors at MKCG Medical College and Hospital successfully removed a 23-centimeter-long teeth-cleaning twig (danta kathi) lodged in the food pipe of a 70-year-old man from Ganjam district.
The operation was led by Dr. Sanjit Kumar Mishra, Head of the ENT Department.
The patient, Kamaraju Nayak of Netanga village under Bellaguntha block, reportedly swallowed the twig accidentally while brushing his teeth last Wednesday. Initially, his family members dismissed his complaints. However, when Nayak began struggling with eating and daily activities, he was taken to Bhanjanagar Community Health Centre (CHC).
For almost a week, Nayak subsisted on liquid food as solid meals caused him immense discomfort. When the doctors at Bhanjanagar CHC were unable to provide relief, he was referred to MKCG Hospital’s ENT department on Tuesday.
Following detailed examinations under Dr. Mishra’s supervision, the presence of a twig in Nayak’s esophagus was confirmed. On Wednesday morning, a surgical team at MKCG performed a one-hour oesophagoscopic surgery to extract the foreign object.
The procedure was successful and Nayak is currently stable and under close observation.
