Docs remove magnet from 9-year-old's windpipe

In a life-saving procedure, doctors at the KMC Hospital used a powerful magnet to save the life of a nine-year-old girl who had accidentally swallowed a magnet, which had got stuck in her windpipe.

The girl was brought to the Emergency Medicine Department of the hospital at Ambedkar Circle with mild respiratory distress after she had aspirated a toy magnet while playing at home.

The X-ray report showed a foreign object in the windpipe of the right lung. The child was immediately shifted to the operation theatre with a plan to remove the magnet through a bronchoscope.

The seriousness of the condition and the need for endoscopic removal and possibility of failure was explained to the parents. If endoscopy failed, then surgery was the option to retrieve magnet.

Paediatric Surgeon Dr Jayateertha Joshi and anaesthetist Dr Sunil said the surface of the object was smooth and denied proper grip to remove using forceps. “Also, while removing such a large object, it may obstruct the main windpipe (trachea) leading to difficulty in making the child breath during anaesthesia. In this unique situation, the doctors made plans to obtain a stronger magnet and move on a surface while keeping the bronchoscope in the windpipe to see the object move up till the entrance of windpipe. When it reached the inlet of the windpipe, removal became easy,” said Dr Joshi.

The child was discharged the next day without further complication.

KMC Medical Superintendent Dr Anand Venugopal said that KMC Hospital has a team of doctors in the region to handle any emergencies.

In few such cases, doctors in KMC Hospital have removed unique objects such as gold chain, the tip of pen and needles from windpipe using bronchoscope.

“To avoid such type of dangerous situations, parents need to be educated and awareness has to be created,” he said.