Special surgery at Mumbai hospital helps Raigad boy survive pellet gun injuries

Aryan along with his family and the doctors at KEM hospital

A 5-year-old boy from a village in Raigad got a new lease of life after he underwent a successful surgery at a city-based hospital for the injuries he suffered from a pellet gun. According to Aryan Pardhi's father Hanuman Pardhi, his mother was trying to scare off some crows in their paddy field using a country made firearm just as they were preparing to have lunch, when she accidentally shot her son. While doctors at a nearby hospital removed some of the pellets, two remained stuck. Speaking to mid-day, Dr Tushar Rathod, orthopaedic surgeon, KEM Hospital, said, "When Aryan was brought to us on July 1, he had high-grade fever and injury marks on his back. Initial investigations showed the presence of foreign particles in his back, which had got infected and resulted in fever. We immediately thought of conducting the surgery. He also had weakness in his left toe."

Dr Tushar Rathod shows the boy's X-ray scans

"In order to treat him, it was important for us to know what caused the injury. Initially his father said it was due to a nail. After a lot of prodding, he told us about the incident," said Dr Rathod. He added that while one of the two pellets got lodged in the right rib cage, the other was inside the spinal canal. "The pellet fractured the spine bone and entered the spinal canal. It was compressing the nerve tissue," said Dr Shubranshu Mohanty, professor, orthopaedics.

Aryan underwent a two-hour-long surgery. The doctors decided to conduct a minimal access surgery than the conventional open one. "We made just two incisions and used a fluoroscope special imaging device to confirm the exact location of the pellets," added Dr Rathod.

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Speaking to mid-day, Pardhi said he was worried when doctors at Raigad couldn't remove the pellets and his son's fever refused to subside. "I somehow borrowed money and arranged for an ambulance to get Aryan here. We were about to sit for lunch that day when the accident happened. We are glad that he is better now and can go home," added Pardhi.

Dr Mohanty further said that a pellet injury in such a small child was rare. "It was challenging and complicated as the pellets were in the spinal canal. Post the surgery, he has shown marked improvement in his condition," he said. Aryan is all set to return to his village this weekend.

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No. of hours for which the surgery was conducted