Doctors in Varanasi Remove Coin Stuck in Man’s Windpipe for 8 Years

In a rare surgery, doctors at Sri Sundarlal Hospital in Banaras Hindu University (SSH, BHU) successfully removed a 25 paise coin from the windpipe of a 40-year-old man. The coin had been stuck there for the last eight years.

The Surgery

A team of doctors led by cardio-thoracic surgeon Prof Siddharth Lakhotia and Prof SK Mathur performed the procedure, which lasted 20 minutes. Dr. Lakhotia explained that it is unusual for objects to enter the trachea of adults due to a strong cough reflex, making this case particularly rare.

Medical Insights

Dr. Amrita Rath from the Department of Anesthesiology emphasized the high level of precision required for such procedures, noting that even a slight error could be life-threatening. An advanced rigid bronchoscope was used to remove the coin.

Team Effort

Dr. Ratnesh Kumar, another cardiothoracic surgeon, mentioned that this facility is unique to the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, among government hospitals in eastern Uttar Pradesh. He also noted that adults are at risk of foreign objects entering their windpipe if they sleep with something in their mouth or are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The support staff, including Trivendra Tyagi, Anand Kumar, Om Prakash, Baijnath Pal, Vikas, and Sanjay, played a crucial role in the surgery.

Previous Success

Recently, BHU doctors also successfully removed an almirah key from a patient’s windpipe, where it had been stuck for 10 years.

The patient is now fine and will be discharged from the hospital within a day of the procedure.