In a remarkable medical feat, doctors at Sagar Multispeciality Hospital (SMH) successfully removed a 3 cm-long metallic pin that had remained lodged in the lung of a 25-year-old youth for nearly 15 days. The pin, which had caused persistent pneumonia, fever, and bleeding cough, was extracted using a state-of-the-art bronchoscope, avoiding the need for invasive surgery.
Dr. Anshul Jain, a pulmonology specialist at SMH, shared that the patient had visited multiple hospitals before arriving at SMH with complaints of severe cough, fever, and blood in sputum. After preliminary investigations including X-ray and CT scan, doctors identified pneumonia in the left lung and suspected the presence of a foreign object due to abnormal imaging shadows.
Upon counselling the patient and reviewing his recent activities, he recalled that while unpacking a new shirt, he had kept a pin in his mouth. Doctors then suspected the pin might have accidentally entered his airway. A high-resolution CT scan confirmed the presence of a metallic object lodged deep inside the lung, in the posterior upper lobe.
Dr. Jain explained that the case posed a complex challenge, as sharp objects embedded in the lung are rarely removed through bronchoscopy due to risk of internal injury. After thorough evaluation, the medical team opted for a minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedure using a 5th-generation bronchoscope with C-arm guidance to pinpoint and extract the object.
During the procedure, doctors visualized the pin lodged deep in the lung. Using biopsy forceps, they carefully gripped and repositioned the pin to avoid injury before safely removing it from the airway. The pin had been the root cause of the patient’s pneumonia and internal bleeding through the lungs.
Following the procedure, the young man’s condition improved rapidly. His pneumonia subsided, bleeding stopped, and he is now in recovery. Doctors expect him to be fully fit and discharged within a few days.
Dr. Jain praised the precision and coordination of the hospital’s pulmonology and surgical team, calling the case a significant example of how advanced bronchoscopic techniques can save lives without the need for open lung surgery.
