SSKM saves toddler, removes custard apple seed from windpipe

Kolkata: In a critical surgery the SSKM Hospital gave a fresh lease of life to a two-and -a-half-year old boy after a seed of custard apple got stuck in his windpipe.

The doctors at the hospital said that it would have been difficult for them to save his life if there was even a little delay in the admission of the patient.

The victim, Samir Maity is a resident of Sagar Island situated in South 24 Parganas, around 135 km away from the city. Samir had swallowed a seed of a custard apple but it unfortunately went into his windpipe. The incident occurred on Monday morning.

The victim's mother Mahua Maity took her son to Daimond Harbour Sub-Divisional Hospital where the doctors expressed their helplessness to remove the seed from the baby's windpipe. They also advised the mother to take her baby to the SSKM Hospital.

The helpless mother from the far-off village travelled all the way from Diamond Harbour and brought her little child to the city.

The baby was finally taken to the Emergency department of the SSKM Hospital on Monday evening. After examining the patient the doctors shifted him to the ENT department where some tests were performed on the baby. A four-member medical board, headed by Dr K Maity, was formed for the surgery of the baby. The other doctors in the medical team were Dr SK Dutta, Dr PK Roy and Dr AR Mondal.

The patient was taken to the operation table on late Monday night and a surgery was carried out to remove the custard apple seed.

According to the doctors the seed was stuck in a critical area inside the wind pipe of the baby.

It could have proved fatal if there was any further delay in admitting the patient to the hospital. Necessary tests were performed to find out the exact location inside the windpipe where the seed was stuck.

The surgery lasted nearly an hour when the doctors performed Bronchoscopy on him and removed the seed. The patient was given oxygen support immediately after the operation and is doing fine now.

Dr K Maity who headed the medical team said that there was a risk factor in the operation as it has always been in case of children as their windpipe remains thin.

In case of adults they can remove if anything is stuck in the windpipe as it is wider in girth.

In many cases it is found that patients die during the operation.