The procedure required the rod to be sawed off from both ends before it could be safely removed from the chest cavity — a delicate and high-risk intervention.
Mangaluru: Doctors in Mangaluru have successfully treated an 11-year-old girl from Kasargod who sustained a rare and life-threatening chest injury when an iron rod pierced through her upper chest.
The accident occurred on January 18, when the child fell onto the rod. She was initially treated at a local hospital before being referred to KMC Hospital in Mangaluru for advanced care.
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On arrival, emergency medicine specialists stabilised her condition before transferring her directly to the operating theatre. A complex emergency thoracotomy was then performed by paediatric surgeon Dr Sadashiva Rao, assisted by anaesthetists Dr Sunil and Dr Freeda Praveena Cutinha. The procedure required the rod to be sawed off from both ends before it could be safely removed from the chest cavity — a delicate and high-risk intervention.
Following surgery, the child was admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit for close monitoring under consultant paediatric intensivist Dr Swathi Rao. She showed steady improvement and was discharged in stable condition within a week.
Dr Rao described the case as “one of its kind”, noting that penetrating chest injuries in children are extremely rare and often fatal. He stressed that such foreign objects must only be removed in a fully equipped surgical setting due to the risks involved.
The incident underlined the challenges of managing paediatric trauma cases, where rapid emergency response and multidisciplinary coordination are critical to survival.
Published: 05 Feb 2026, 09:44 pm IST
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