Cherthala: A 36-year-old man in Alappuzha had been living with a dog’s tooth embedded in his hand for over 25 years after it was accidentally lodged there following a childhood injury. The tooth was only found during surgery for a persistent pain that had troubled him for years.

Vyshakh, now 36, had been suffering from unexplained pain in his hand for many years, ever since a dog bit him when he was just 11 years old. The injury was initially treated with basic first aid, and no further medical attention was given.

Over the years, the pain worsened, he had a lump, prompting Vyshakh to seek help from several doctors. Despite visiting numerous specialists, none of them could identify the cause. Eventually, Vyshakh went to Cherthala Taluk Hospital for treatment, where doctors decided to conduct surgery to investigate the issue.

During the operation, Dr. Mohammed Muneer and his team were startled to find a large fragment of a canine tooth embedded in the soft tissue of the hand, lodged near major nerves. The tooth, which had been trapped since the dog bite 25 years ago, had become encased in the surrounding muscle and skin, making it impossible for previous doctors to identify the problem.

It was only during the surgery that Vyshakh recalled the dog bite incident from his childhood, and he explained the cause of the injury to the medical team. The tooth had been stuck in a difficult position between the hand's major nerves, remaining unnoticed for over two decades.

Vishakh, astonished by the unexpected finding, was discharged from the hospital the same day after a successful procedure to remove the tooth. The medical team, including Nursing Officers V. Sreekala, Sandra Salim, and Riya, played crucial roles in assisting with the surgery.