Bhubaneswar: Doctors at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Bhubaneswar, saved the life of a 22-year-old businessman from Rourkela after an arrow pierced through his chest.
The patient sustained the grievous injury as the arrow became lodged deep inside his body. His family rushed him to several hospitals, but due to the complexity of the case and the high risk involved, none of them took up the case and removed the arrow; a decision that ultimately proved crucial in saving his life.
With little hope left, the family brought him to KIMS, where a multidisciplinary team of specialists from the Department of General Surgery, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), Anaesthesiology and other supporting departments immediately planned an emergency operation. The team was led by Dr Amaresh Mishra, HOD of Department of General Surgery. The other surgeons included Dr S K Sahu, Dr P S Pujari, Dr D Hota, Dr S Samal, among others.
Explaining the complexity of the surgery, the team from the Department of General Surgery said such cases are extremely rare and highly dangerous. “These types of injuries are very risky. In many cases, patients die at the moment the arrow is removed because it may be preventing massive bleeding. One fortunate aspect in this case was that none of the hospitals they visited had attempted to remove the arrow. That gave us the opportunity to plan the surgery properly,” the doctors said.
The surgical team first opened the abdomen and then the chest to assess the extent of the damage.
“When we opened the chest, we found that the arrow had pierced the lung. By God’s grace, it had narrowly missed the heart. As soon as the arrow was removed from the lung, significant bleeding started, which had to be controlled immediately. The entire operation was a coordinated effort involving multiple departments, including the CTVS team. We are extremely satisfied with the outcome,” they said.
The damaged portion of the lung was successfully repaired during the surgery. “The injury to the lung was repaired, and the patient has recovered well. He has left for his home, looking forward to leading a completely normal life,” the doctors said.
Expressing gratitude to the doctors, the patient’s brother said the family had almost lost hope after being refused treatment at multiple hospitals. “We went to several hospitals, but all of them turned us back because the case was very complicated. Finally, we came to KIMS, where the doctors immediately took charge. We are deeply thankful to the doctors and the entire hospital for saving my brother’s life. The quality of treatment and care here is exceptional,” he said.
The Founder of KIIT and KISS, Dr Achyuta Samanta has congratulated the doctors for their accomplishment as he emphasised the advanced care and treatment provided to the patients at KIMS.
