top of page

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.”

Capturing Nandurbar

Nandurbar

Political ideologies and loyalties are no bar in Nandurbar as four members of the Gavit family are contesting from the four assembly constituencies of the district. At the centre of the Gavit clan in Vijaykumar Gavit, a former minister who has represented his constituency six times as an MLA, once as an Independent, a few terms as a member of the undivided NCP and then as a BJP member. His daughter Heena entered the Lok Sabha in 2014 winning the Parliamentary polls. Now, she is contesting the state assembly as an Independent.


The region’s demographics include almost 70 per cent tribals with low education and employment opportunities which has made them heavily dependent on government schemes and assistance. This is one of the reasons the region has given rise to political strongmen.


Gavit was a professor of medicine when he began his political career in 1995 where his campaign was ably supported by his brothers Sharad and Rajendra. He contested as an Independent but aligned with the Shiv Sena-BJP government of the time and was made a minister. He then moved to the NCP, was given a ministerial berth in the Congress-NCP government and then joined the BJP in 2014. He inducted his brothers into electoral politics and sought tickets from various parties for them. The family has seen shifts across parties over the years with the brothers contesting from the Samajwadi Party, the NCP, Shiv Sena and the BJP in various elections.


In 2014, Gavit ensured a victory for his daughter Heena who became among the youngest Members of Parliament from Maharashtra to enter the Lok Sabha that year. She lost to the Congress in 2024 and is now set to contest the assembly elections. To corner the four assembly seats from Nandurbar, the Gavit family has now spread its wings to different parties. While Vijaykumar will contest on a BJP ticket from Nandurbar, his brother Rajendra has got a ticket from Shahada as a Congress candidate while Sharad and Heena are independents contesting from Nawapur and Akkalkuva respectively. With this move, the family is hedging its bets. While contesting from four seats from different parties, it is believed that at least one member will reach the state assembly, which helps the Gavits retain their hold and influence over Nandurbar.

Comments

bottom of page