Badlapur woman has fishbone in throat for 15 days!

Doctors operated and took out the bone from Husnabano Shaikh’s neck, (right) the Mangur bone

A 46-year-old woman from Badlapur had a close shave with death after accidentally swallowing a fishbone. Doctors at the civic-run KEM Hospital removed the 2.8-cm fishbone and said there were chances of it piercing one of the large blood vessels in the neck causing severe bleeding, which could have led to the patient's death.

Unaware of the bone stuck in her throat, Husnabano Nizamuddin Shaikh lived in pain for over 15 days and was on a liquid diet. After the local doctors failed to diagnose the issue, she decided to visit the civic-run KEM Hospital. It was here that doctors found the fishbone, which had to be operated out.

Doctors operated on Husnabano Shaikh's neck and took out the bone

According to doctors, Shaikh came to the hospital on March 5, complaining of swelling in the neck and difficulty swallowing food. She was referred to the Ear, Nose, and Tongue (ENT) Department, where the doctors found the fishbone stuck in her throat.

Dr Neelam Sathe, associate professor and head of the unit of the ENT and throat surgery department, said, "Even the patient was not aware that she had accidentally swallowed a fishbone. We took an X-ray of her neck which was swollen and came to know about the fishbone. When we asked about her history, we learnt that she had consumed Mangur fish around 15 days ago and that the pain started from the next day."

Dr Neelam Sathe, KEM Hospital

"We operated on her and removed the 2.8-cm fishbone from her neck. She was lucky that the bone didn't injure the blood vessels in her throat. It is a sharp foreign object that can harm other parts of the body, too, and lead to more problems including formation of pus," Dr Sathe added.

Shaikh, who has recovered, said, "I was not able to swallow food and was on a liquid diet. I visited a local doctor who gave me a pain killer. There was some relief from the pain but I still could not swallow. Hence, I decided to visit KEM hospital. Thanks to the doctors here for relieving me from this pain."

Dr Sathe added, "Such cases are rare. I have seen only two cases in my career so far. In the first case, a fishbone swallowed by a kid went to his chest and injured his arteries. Due to excessive bleeding, he died." The doctor also advised the public to visit a doctor if they find difficulty swallowing or feel a fishbone is stuck as it may lead to major issues if not taken out timely.

2.8CM
Length of the fishbone

5 March
Day operation took place