In what could have been a fatal freak accident, a seven-year-old boy from India managed to survive a serious injury after falling while playing. As he hit the ground, a 3-inch nail pierced through his head, hitting his brain. Thanks to an hours-long surgery, the boy managed to survive.
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According to India Today, the incident occurred in the Balrampur district, in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, on May 16. The boy, who remains unnamed, reportedly sustained the injury while playing. After falling by accident, he landed on top of a 3-inch nail.
As a result, the nail pierced through his neck, traveled through his jaw, and reached a “highly sensitive area” of his brain. After arriving at a local hospital, the boy was referred to King George’s Medical University (KGMU) due to the severity of his injury.
Life-Saving Surgery
Upon arriving at KGMU, doctors assessed the severity of his injury. According to them, the nail “barely” missed one of the boy’s blood vessels, which could have proven to be fatal.
“It was during the course of investigation that we found that the nail had gone from the neck to the brain barely missing a blood vessel,” Dr. Sandip Tiwari told ETV Bharat. “We consulted the experts in NeuroSurgery and ENT Departments and then decided to conduct this complicated surgery. The boy was later admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).”
What followed was a 10-hour surgery that required the utmost care and precision, given the location of the nail. As per India Today, surgeons used a variety of tools and techniques to carry out the surgery. These included microsurgical techniques and the use of a neuro-navigational system.
Thankfully, doctors managed to successfully remove the nail without causing damage to the area. While recovering, the seven-year-old boy has shown signs of slow but steady improvement. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The case was so unique, given how the boy managed to survive his initial injury and the subsequent surgery, that it has been deemed valuable to medical science, as per India Today. It is expected that a report will be written about the case, which will then be published internationally.