Doctors at a leading hospital Hyderabad removed a 2 cm-long chicken bone stuck into food pipe of a 10-year-old boy, thus saving his life.

A team of doctors at Continental Hospitals successfully removed the bone two days after the incident. The team led by consultant medical gastroenterologist Dr Raghuram Kondala, conducted an endoscopic clipping after the safe removal of the foreign body (chicken bone) from the esophagus, the hospital said on Sunday. With stenting, the functionality of the food pipe was fully restored to ensure no immediate or future complications, it said. A foreign body in the airway may lead to choking and if not removed in time, the chocking could even lead to death.

According to doctors, when referred to Continental Hospitals, the boy had running temperature and required immediate intervention. Such cases must be attended to immediately, as a delay could increase the risks like food pipe perforation leading to infection; long term complications; and in some cases even may result in deaths," said Dr Raghuram Kondala. "Because perforations are common when sharp objects like a chicken bone gets struck, it is important utmost care is taken while removing the object and stenting to ensure restoration of functionality of the food pipe," he said.

The doctor said that it is always advised for the parents to keep a watch while children are eating meats with bones or while playing with small round or sharp objects. Two cases of accidentally consuming foreign bodies were reported in a month and treated at the Continental Hospitals, one of the leading healthcare facilities in South India and well-equipped to handle complex surgeries and procedure.