Roadside surgery in Kerala: 3 doctors and locals join hands to save accident victim’s life

Kochi: In a rare act of medical intervention outside a hospital setting, doctors carried out an emergency surgical procedure on a roadside to save a critically injured youth following a road accident in Ernakulam.

Using only a razor blade and a drinking straw available at the scene, the doctors opened the victim’s airway and prevented respiratory arrest before shifting him to a private hospital.

The accident occurred around 8.30 pm on Sunday at Valiyakulam in Udayamperoor, Ernakulam, when a motorcycle and a scooter collided. Three people were injured in the crash.

The most seriously injured was Lineesh, a motorcycle rider, who was found lying on the roadside in a critical condition.

Doctors Dr Thomas Peter and his wife Dr Didiya from Ernakulam’s Indira Gandhi Hospital, along with Dr Manoop, a cardiothoracic surgeon from Kottayam Medical College, happened to reach the spot while travelling.

The injured youth had suffered severe facial injuries, with damage to his nose and teeth. Blood had clotted inside his airway, making it impossible for him to breathe and pushing him towards respiratory arrest.

As there was no time to transport him to a hospital, the doctors decided to perform an emergency procedure on the spot.

With the assistance of local residents and police, the doctors performed a surgical cricothyrotomy, a procedure usually carried out in hospital emergency rooms to save lives.

They used a razor blade and a straw typically used for cold drinks to open the airway. A paper straw was initially used but was later replaced with a plastic straw provided by a bystander.

After stabilising the patient, he was shifted to Welcare Hospital, Vyttila.

Dr Thomas Peter and Dr Didiya explained what happened

They were returning after visiting their mother’s house along with family when they noticed a traffic block. They stopped and checked, and realised it was a major accident. As they moved closer, they saw one injured person lying by the roadside.

He had a head injury and was bleeding, but he was speaking, so they felt his airway was not at risk. Nearby, they noticed another crowd. When they checked, that person had severe facial injuries and was covered in blood and mud. Someone was holding his neck in a way that suggested medical training

When they asked, they came to know that the person was also a doctor — Manoop — working at Kottayam Medical College. He too had stopped after seeing the crowd. By then, the injured youth was struggling to breathe.

Once he knew they were doctors as well, he said that keeping the patient like that would not help and suggested that they try opening the airway using a straw. The trio asked nearby people for a blade and got a regular razor and a paper straw. They decided to try with whatever was available.

The paper straw was difficult to use, and someone then gave them a plastic straw from a Frooti. The police told them to do whatever was possible to save the patient’s life.

Local residents cooperated fully. They made it clear that no one should take photos or videos. They asked people to switch on flashlights to provide proper lighting. Both the police and the public supported them completely, bringing whatever was needed to save a life.

By then, the ambulance arrived, and Dr Manoop accompanied the patient in the ambulance.