KIMS Doctors Perform Life-Saving Surgery to Restore Severely Narrowed Windpipe
Doctors at KIMS Hospital, Gachibowli, have successfully saved the life of a young man who was suffering from severe breathing distress after his windpipe became critically narrowed following accidental consumption of phenyl.
Hyderabad: Doctors at KIMS Hospital, Gachibowli, have successfully saved the life of a young man who was suffering from severe breathing distress after his windpipe became critically narrowed following accidental consumption of phenyl.
Sharing details of the case, Dr. Rohan Reddy C, Consultant Minimal Invasive, Robotic and Onco-Thoracic Surgeon at KIMS, said the patient had consumed phenyl nearly two years ago, causing extensive internal damage. Multiple medical procedures were undertaken at the time to remove the toxic chemical from his body. Over the years, these interventions led to progressive scarring and narrowing of the windpipe.
“Normally, the windpipe has a diameter of about two centimetres. In this patient, it had reduced to just eight millimetres, with nearly three and a half centimetres of its length severely narrowed,” Dr. Reddy explained. The condition caused extreme breathlessness, where even mild coughing or small amounts of phlegm would block the airway, leaving the patient gasping for breath.
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After thorough evaluation, the medical team determined that surgical reconstruction of the windpipe was the only option. “The windpipe is rigid and cannot be stretched like the intestines. It can be safely stretched only up to three centimetres, and artificial replacement is not possible. Repairing the existing structure was the only solution,” he said.
During the complex procedure, surgeons removed the entire damaged section of the windpipe. Using advanced surgical techniques, the remaining healthy portions were carefully stretched and rejoined, restoring the airway to near-normal size. The surgery was successful, and the patient is now breathing comfortably without any complications.
Dr. Reddy highlighted that such high-risk procedures require a multidisciplinary approach and advanced infrastructure. The surgery was carried out by a coordinated team comprising Dr. Vijay and Dr. Rama Phanindra (Thoracic Surgery), Dr. Girish Reddy and team (Anaesthesia), Dr. Shirish (Pulmonology), Dr. Harini (Psychiatry), and Dr. Chaitanya and team (Critical Care).
“With the availability of specialised expertise and state-of-the-art facilities at KIMS Hospital, Gachibowli, we were able to successfully restore the patient’s airway and give him a new lease of life,” he added.
