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

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

Challenges and Success

Dr. Amrita Rath from the Department of Anesthesiology emphasized the high level of precision required for such procedures. An advanced rigid bronchoscope was used to remove the coin. Dr. Ratnesh Kumar noted that this facility is unique to the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, among government hospitals in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The patient is now fine and will be discharged within a day of the procedure. The support staff, including Trivendra Tyagi, Anand Kumar, Om Prakash, Baijnath Pal, Vikas, and Sanjay, also 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.