Berhampur: A three-year-old boy from Umerkote in Nabarangpur district has got a new lease of life after doctors at govt-run MKCG Medical College and Hospital here successfully removed an 8cm-long twig lodged in his brain in 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, about 3.5cm in girth, through a complex surgery assisted by anesthesia specialists last Thursday.The accident happened when a branch of a tree fell on the child while he was playing near his home at Bhagabati Nagar under Umerkote block on April 28 evening. Though family members removed the visible portions of the branch, a piece had already penetrated his skull.The boy was initially taken to Umerkote hospital, from where he was first referred to LN Medical College and Hospital in Koraput. As his condition worsened due to bleeding, he was shifted to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, last Wednesday.Doctors said nearly 5cm of the twig had penetrated the skull, with about 3cm protruding outside. “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 circular craniotomy. The surgery lasted around four hours,” said Dr Panda, adding that the child is stable and recovering well.“It was a high-risk procedure requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Any delay could have proved fatal,” he said, adding 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 said she hoped her son would return home soon after recovery.
