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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Surgery saves boy who gulped tiny LED bulb

Mumbai : In a bizarre development, a small boy from Kolhapur swallowed a tiny LED light bulb a few months ago that got stuck deep in his...

Surgery saves boy who gulped tiny LED bulb

Mumbai : In a bizarre development, a small boy from Kolhapur swallowed a tiny LED light bulb a few months ago that got stuck deep in his lung causing huge trauma and emotional stress for his family, officials said.   When the unusual case was referred to the Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre (JHRC), a team of medicos successfully extricated the foreign object lodged in the three-and-half-year-old boy’s chest.   Recounting the remarkable feat, a JHRC official said the child, Aarav Patil was reported to be suffering from severe breathing difficulties and incessant coughing for almost three months.   Doctors treating him at his home town initially mistook it for pneumonia and subjected him to multiple courses of antibiotics and other medicines, but there was improvement in the boy’s condition.   Subsequently, he was taken for advanced tests, examinations and a CT Scan which revealed the shocker – a metallic object was sitting inside the boy’s left bronchus, partially blocking the airway.   More tests identified the offending object – it was a LED bulb from a toy car – a development so rare that even seasoned doctors described it as a ‘one in a million case’.   Though doctors in Kolhapur attempted to retrieve the foreign body through flexible bronchoscopy - a minimally invasive procedure - the attempts proved to be unsuccessful.   As Aarav’s condition appeared to deteriorate, his desperate family rushed him to JHRC and he was referred to a team of specialist doctors.   After studying his case and examining Aarav, the medical team comprising thoracic surgeon Dr. Vimesh Rajput, ENT surgeon Dr. Divya Prabhat and Dr. Anurag Jain discovered that the bulb had not only blocked the bronchus but had also embedded itself in the surrounding tissues of the lung tissue, making its removal extremely challenging.   A rigid bronchoscopy conducted further confirmed the severity of the obstruction. Left with no other option, the doctors decided to opt for a mini thoracotomy — a delicate surgery involving a 4-centimeter incision in the chest.   “This was one of the rarest cases we’ve encountered. The bulb was lodged in such a way that conventional methods could not retrieve it. Through careful planning and teamwork, we managed to safely remove the object by a mini thoracotomy and restored Aarav’s lung function,” explained Dr. Rajput.   Emphasising how such cases are ignored, Dr. Prabhat pointed out that chronic cough or breathing issues are often dismissed as common pneumonia or even asthma.   “However, such persistent symptoms must always be investigated thoroughly, especially through early detection and imaging which can make all the difference to the patient,” she averred.   JHRC CMO Dr. Milind Khadke said, “The foreign body aspiration in kids is far more common that parents may realise but quick intervention is critical to prevent long-term medical complications.”

Brave border residents brace Pakistani attack

  • PTI
  • May 10
  • 4 min read
People show the debris of an unidentified projectile at Jallupur Kheda near Amritsar on Saturday. Pic: PTI
People show the debris of an unidentified projectile at Jallupur Kheda near Amritsar on Saturday. Pic: PTI

Jammu: “We woke up to sound of sirens blaring... moments later, a massive blast rocked our house,” recalled a resident of Rehari Colony in Jammu city that was among the worst-hit in the region by intense mortar shelling and drone strikes by Pakistan early Saturday.


The morning assault came hours after multiple drones were intercepted overnight by Indian armed forces.


The attacks struck six locations in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, waking residents from their sleep with deafening explosions.


Among the worst-hit was the densely populated Rehari Colony, where a bomb tore through the home of Gulshan Dutta, leaving the structure and several nearby vehicles in ruins.


One person was injured, but the family narrowly escaped.


“We stepped out onto the balcony after waking up to the sound of sirens and rushed to the ground floor. Moments later, a massive blast rocked our house,” Dutta's wife recalled.


“The sirens saved our lives,” she said. “If we hadn't moved, we would have been dead. Mata Rani protected us.”


Scenes of devastation in Rehari Colony resembled a war zone -- splintered concrete, twisted metal, shattered windows and fragments embedded in walls and vehicles.


Around 5:15 am today, Dutta heard the blast that shook his home to its foundation.


“Our entire house trembled. We thought it was the end,” he said.


Another bomb reportedly targeted the revered Aap Shambhu temple but landed near an isolated house instead, averting what could have been mass casualties.


“We had come for our morning prayers when a loud explosion shattered the silence. Debris flew everywhere,” said Sudesh Kumar, a devotee.


“Had it happened later, dozens could have been killed,” he said.


'Widespread damage

In Janipur, a shell tore through the roof of a home, causing widespread damage in the vicinity. However, the family had locked the house and moved to another place due to fear.


Several neighbourhoods reported panic and sleepless nights following the explosions and overnight drone activity.


“We were up all night due to the drone alerts. Then came the blasts. There is fear now… people feel unsafe even in their homes,” said Omkar Singh, a resident of Jainpur.


Shakuntala Devi from Hazuribagh echoed the concern. “They are targeting civilians now. When they can't fight our army, they try to break us by hitting innocents,” she said.


Despite the fear, some residents voiced defiance. Kartar Chand, who works in a warehouse near a business hub, witnessed a shell explode nearby early today.


“We are not afraid, but Pakistan must be made to pay for this. They must not be allowed to continue sponsoring terror in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.


  • Srinagar was rocked by massive blasts hours after similar explosions shook Jammu. Two massive explosions were heard near the Srinagar airport around 11.45 am. The blasts caused panic among the people as electricity was snapped in the city and other parts of the valley. Sirens were also heard in some areas.

  • A missile-like object landed deep inside the Dal Lake -- a major tourist attraction in Srinagar -- after loud explosions rocked the city on Saturday morning, officials said. Smoke bellowed from the surface of the lake when the object landed. The debris of the object, which has been fished out by the security forces, is being analysed.

  • A drone was shot down by the air-defence system at the old airfield in Srinagar on Saturday as the city was rocked by massive blasts, officials said.

  • Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri and Gurez sectors of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. There were no reports of any loss of life so far.

  • After a night of bristling tension, people woke up to explosion-like sounds in Punjab's Pathankot and Jalandhar districts, while air sirens rang out in Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Ferozepur districts. An unidentified projectile landed in a residential area at Kanganiwal village in Punjab's Jalandhar district early Saturday.

  • Air raid sirens were sounded in Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Jalandhar on Saturday morning, officials said. The Amritsar district administration at 7:54 am asked people to remain indoors and stay away from windows. There were reports of explosion-like sounds being heard early Saturday in Amritsar and Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran district.

  • Debris of unidentified objects were found at some places at Beas in Amritsar, Jalandhar and Tarn Taran districts.

  • According to officials, the security forces thwarted multiple drone attacks launched by Pakistan in Punjab's Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka and Amritsar districts.

  • In Ferozepur, three members of a family were injured on Friday night after a crashing projectile from a Pakistani drone destroyed by the Indian air defence system landed at their house at Khai Pheme Ke village, setting the structure and a car on fire.

  • A suspicious metal object resembling parts of a missile was found at a village near the Chintpurni temple in Himachal Pradesh's Una district, officials said. The area at Behad village, located around 10 km from the famous Chintpurni temple, reverberated with the sound of an explosion at 1.30 am on Saturday amid a complete blackout in the region, they said.

  • An unidentified object fell in a field between Khalyan and Sahni villages in Phagwara district early Saturday, officials said. Locals said an explosion-like sound was heard at 2.40 am from the fields of Major Singh at Khalyan village towards Sahni. The impact of the unidentified object created a crater about 7-8 feet deep and 12-14 feet wide in the field, the officials said.

  • Some parts of the unidentified object were found lying scattered in the field. Some wheat straw also caught fire after the projectile fell, which was put out by firemen, locals said. No loss of life was reported in the incident.

  • Pathankot in Punjab went into alert mode on Saturday after explosion-like sounds were heard in the border district, with the local authorities ordering closure of markets in the region as a precautionary measure.

  • Indian Army's Air Defence units early Saturday morning shot down multiple Kamikaze drones launched by Pakistan after they crossed the International Border in Punjab's Amritsar, defence sources said. The drones, identified as Byker YIHA III models, were launched around 5 am and were headed toward densely populated civilian areas, they said.

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