7 cm Iron Rod Pierces Boy’s Face — ENT Surgeons Perform Life-Saving, Historic Surgery in Raipur

Doctors from the ENT Department of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, Raipur, achieve rare surgical feat without damaging critical nerves or vessels.

Raipur : In a remarkable and life-saving operation, doctors at the ENT Department of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, affiliated with Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Raipur, successfully removed a 7-centimeter-long iron rod lodged deep inside a 14-year-old boy’s face — without causing any damage to critical facial nerves or blood vessels.

The boy, a resident of Madhunara village in Korba district, had met with an accident in which an iron rod, shaped like an arrow, pierced the right side of his face. The rod, measuring approximately 17.5 cm in length, had penetrated around 7 cm deep into his face and neck. It had torn through the muscles and entered the parotid gland (major salivary gland near the ear), dangerously close to the neck’s main blood vessels and the paraspinal space near the spinal cord.

This extremely complex and delicate surgery was led by Dr. Hansa Banjara, Head of the ENT Department, with support from Dr. Durgesh Gajendra, Dr. Ankur Kumar Chandrakar, Dr. Priyanka Sahu (PG student), and anesthesiologists Dr. Pratibha Jain Shah, Dr. Amrita, and Dr. Neeraj (PG student).

Dr. Hansa Banjara explained:
“The rod was embedded deep between major facial structures. We had to carefully separate the parotid tissue and navigate around the facial nerve, which passes through the gland, to remove the foreign object without causing nerve damage. The rod’s tip was dangerously close to the main blood vessels and spinal nerves, making it a highly sensitive and critical procedure.”

Any small error could have resulted in severe bleeding, facial paralysis, or even death. However, due to precise planning and execution, the surgical team managed to extract the rod safely. The patient has since recovered well.

A Grateful Family:
The boy’s family expressed deep gratitude toward the hospital team. “The surgical team displayed extraordinary skill and patience. This experience has significantly increased our trust in the hospital,” they said.

This successful operation stands as a milestone in complex facial trauma care, showcasing the expertise and dedication of Raipur’s ENT medical professionals.