Biryani Bone Stuck in Throat Triggers 8-Hour OT Drama
MUMBAI: A dinner treat turned into a misadventure for Kurla’s Shaikh family. On February 3, Ruby Shaikh (name changed), a 34-year-old mother of two, was enjoying a rare treat—chicken biryani from a local restaurant. Little did she know that a chicken bone would take her on a month-long medical journey that would perplex even doctors.
The modestly priced biryani left Ruby’s husband, a supervisor in a local factory, facing an unexpected Rs 8 lakh hospital bill, although the hospital later halved it through donations.
The Medical Mystery Unfolds
On February 8, the 3.2 cm bone that had damaged Ruby’s oesophagus was finally extracted. However, during the procedure, the bone mysteriously vanished from its initial position. X-ray and ultrasound examinations couldn’t locate it in the chest or abdomen. A CT scan, performed while the patient was intubated, revealed its unexpected upward movement to the nasopharynx—the topmost part of the throat. This led to an operation lasting eight hours instead of the anticipated two.
After initially choking on February 3, Ruby arrived at Criticare Hospital, where an X-ray scan indicated a foreign object in her neck. She initially refused CT scans and admission but returned two days later with fever, high blood pressure, and an oral infection. Further endoscopy and CT scans revealed the foreign body in the cervical oesophagus, which had caused bilateral perforations.
Expert Insights
ENT surgeon Dr. Sanjay Helale explained, “Scans before surgery revealed the bone was still in its earlier position.” He opted for open surgery given the bone’s proximity to the carotid artery and the need to repair the perforated food pipe. Dr. Ajay Bhandarwar, head of the surgery department at J J Hospital, noted the unusual upward movement of the bone. Former KEM Hospital Dean Dr. Avinash Supe speculated that Ruby may have coughed immediately after anesthesia was administered, causing the bone to migrate.
Ruby, on her part, has made a firm decision: she will neither eat nor cook biryani again.
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