Doctors At KIMS Remove Milk Tooth From Airway In 7-Year Old Child

Bhubaneswar: These are challenging time for performing medical procedures other than those related to COVID-19. However, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) managed it. 

In what can be called a path breaking procedure, doctors here removed a foreign body from the airway of a seven-year old child. It was blocking almost half of the lungs for which the child was having difficulty in breathing. 

In the ENT Department of KIMS, majority of the operative procedures require oral or nasal intervention, which is considered to be a harbouring area of COVID 19 virus. As such there is a high possibility of aerosol transmission to health care workers.

The child, hailing from Soro, Balasore, complained of shortness of breath and cough after waking up from sleep. Earlier, the patient had visited various nearby institutions but a definitive diagnosis and treatment could not be given. In KIMS, Dr. Khageswar Rout, senior ENT surgeon examined the history and reports of the patient and found that there was a recent loss of milk tooth, which was missed. He ordered a computed tomography of the airway, which revealed a tooth obstructing the right bronchus. 

An emergency treatment plan, rigid bronchoscope with optical forceps was drawn up. Under all aseptic measures, including personal protection equipment (PPE KIT) for all operation theatre staffs, a rigid bronchoscopy was performed with spontaneous ventilation. Since the visible part was smooth and slippery, removing the milk tooth was difficult and challenging for the senior surgeon and his team.

The  life saving procedure was made possible by the team work of KIMS doctors from the Departments of ENT and Anesthesia. The leading surgeon was Dr. Khageswar Rout. He was assisted by Dr. Gifty Zacharias, Dr. Rachit and nursing staff. Anaesthetic care was provided by the team consisting of Dr. Jagdish C. Mishra, senior anaesthetist, Dr. Amit Pradhan, Dr. Amrita and Dr. Aparna Jayaraj. Founder, KIIT & KISS, Dr. Achyuta Samanta thanked the team and said, the treatment shows the commitment and social responsibility of KIMS amid COVID 19 pandemic. He wished the child a speedy recovery.