Doctors save man with stake in chest
The lead surgeon shows the stake removed from a patient’s chest after an arduous operation at JPMC on Tuesday. Photo: Express
Doctors have removed a wooden spike lodged in the chest of a 21-year-old man during a highly complicated medical procedure at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
The young man reportedly fell from a height of seven feet onto a sharp and pointed piece of wood, which pierced through his chest from under the armpit.
The stake tore through muscles and ribs, but stopped dangerously close to the heart and the aorta — the body's largest artery, according to hospital officials. Only a few centimetres of distance prevented the injury from becoming instantly fatal.
The injured man was rushed to the JPMC Emergency Department, where medics found his heartbeat critically slow, and started treatment immediately.
Thoracic surgeons Dr Muhammad Shoaib and Dr Nader Ali said the nature of the wound initially led them to suspect potential damage to the heart or major vessels, injuries that are often life-ending. Examination revealed that the rod had entered between the third rib on the left side, with its tip visible near the sternum.
During surgery, doctors discovered that the rod had injured chest muscles, ribs, and a portion of the lung but had narrowly missed the heart and aorta. The surgical team carefully removed the wooden rod, controlled internal bleeding, and repaired wounds to the lung and chest wall.
The patient regained consciousness following the procedure and is now in stable condition. "This was an extremely dangerous case — the rod stopped just a few centimetres from the heart and aorta.