A 46-year-old Mauritius national was treated for a rare and potentially catastrophic case of a foreign body stuck in the right side of her neck by MIOT International, Chennai.

The patient, who ate a burger on April 24, initially experienced choking, throat discomfort and pain soon after the meal. “I drank a lot of water thinking a chicken bone was stuck in the throat and went to sleep, but the pain and discomfort continued, so I sought medical advice,” said the patient, a schoolteacher, at a press meet on Saturday.

Four days later, while in Mauritius, she underwent an endoscopic evaluation. Doctors found that the foreign body was no longer inside the food pipe. They advised her to seek treatment abroad as it was a complicated case.

After consulting the overseas treatment board and her international insurance provider, she was referred to India.

Arun Mitra Singamaneni, thoracic oncosurgeon, MIOT International, said that the patient arrived in Chennai on May 2, more than a week after the incident.

A multidisciplinary medical team first conducted a CT scan, which revealed that the foreign body had migrated outside the food pipe into the neck of the patient.

Further examination showed that the sharp structure had pierced through the right side of the thyroid region and was dangerously close to major arteries supplying blood to the brain.

Dr. Singamaneni said the surgery was aided by intraoperative CT imaging technology.

Using the scan, surgeons identified the exact position of the object in three dimensions and made a small horizontal incision along a natural crease in the neck to minimise visible scarring.

The extracted object measured about 24 mm in length and 4-5 mm in thickness. The patient was shifted to the ICU after surgery. She was initially fed through a tube to allow healing, and later resumed a normal diet, said senior medical gastroenterologist Palaniappan S.

‘Timely intervention’

Mallika Mohandas, chairman, MIOT International, said that the success of the surgery depended on timely intervention, advanced imaging technology and multidisciplinary expertise.

Doctors also used the case to underline Chennai’s growing role as a global healthcare destination and pointed out that limited direct international flight connectivity remains a major obstacle for medical tourism in India.