AIIMS Rajkot Doctors Remove Metal Pin From 12-Year-Old Girl’s Intestine Without Surgery

Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rajkot, removed a sharp metal pin lodged in the small intestine of a 12-year-old girl through endoscopy, avoiding major surgery. The girl, who had suffered persistent abdominal pain after accidentally swallowing the object, was discharged the following day.

The girl, a resident of Junagadh district, had swallowed the pin accidentally a few days before seeking treatment at AIIMS Rajkot. Her family initially took her to Junagadh Civil Hospital and a private hospital, where an X-ray revealed a metallic object in her upper abdomen.

The family subsequently approached AIIMS Rajkot for further treatment as the girl continued to experience abdominal pain.

Pin Lodged in Duodenum

Doctors at the General Surgery outpatient department conducted further investigations and found that the sharp pin was lodged in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine beyond the stomach.

An X-ray showed that the object was stuck at the junction of the second and third portions of the duodenum. Doctors decided to remove it through endoscopy to prevent prolonged retention from causing internal injury or other complications.

A senior team of doctors performed the procedure with support from the anaesthesia team. During endoscopy, the medical team located and safely extracted the pin without making an abdominal incision or resorting to major surgery.

The girl remained stable throughout the procedure, and doctors reported no complications during post-procedure monitoring.

Girl Discharged the Next Day

The girl was started on a liquid diet six hours after the procedure. Her diet was gradually returned to normal as her recovery progressed satisfactorily, allowing doctors to discharge her the following day.

Doctors advised parents to remain alert to the risk of children accidentally swallowing small objects such as pins, coins and toy parts while playing.

They cautioned against dismissing such incidents as harmless, even when a child does not immediately develop symptoms. Parents should not induce vomiting or attempt to remove a swallowed object themselves.

Instead, they should seek medical attention promptly so that doctors can determine the object's location and decide on the appropriate treatment.

AIIMS Rajkot has endoscopy facilities to manage such cases, with treatment based on the patient's condition and specialist assessment.