Berhampur: A three-year-old boy from Umerkote in Nabarangpur district has received a new lease of life after doctors at the government-run MKCG Medical College and Hospital here successfully removed an 8-centimeter-long twig lodged in his brain during a four-hour surgery.
Om Harijan is currently recovering at the pediatric intensive care unit of the hospital. A team led by neurosurgeon Dr. Rabi Narayan Panda extracted the twig, which had a girth of about 3.5 centimeters, through a complex surgical procedure assisted by anesthesia specialists last Thursday.
The incident occurred on the evening of April 28 when a branch of a tree fell on the child while he was playing near his home at Bhagabati Nagar under Umerkote block. Although family members removed the visible portions of the branch, a piece had already penetrated his skull.
The boy was initially taken to Umerkote hospital and later referred to LN Medical College and Hospital in Koraput. As his condition worsened due to bleeding, he was transferred to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur last Wednesday.
Doctors reported that nearly 5 centimeters of the twig had penetrated the skull, with about 3 centimeters protruding outside. Dr. Panda explained, "The twig had pierced the midline over the sagittal sinus. Had it remained lodged for longer, it could have caused continuous bleeding, potentially leading to loss of limb function. We removed the foreign body through a circumferential craniotomy. The surgery lasted around four hours." He added that the child is stable and recovering well.
"It was a high-risk procedure requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Any delay could have proved fatal," Dr. Panda said, noting that the surgery was conducted free of cost.
The child's father, Sanjit Harijan, a farmer, expressed relief over the successful operation. His mother Sabita thanked the doctors and expressed hope that her son would return home soon after recovery.
