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A 7-year-old boy from India narrowly escaped a tragic fate after a freak accident left a 3-inch iron nail lodged deep inside his brain.
The young child, from Balrampur district, fell while playing and landed on a sharp nail that pierced through his neck and traveled upward into his brain — miraculously missing vital blood vessels by mere millimeters, according to doctors at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.
He was first rushed to a local private hospital before being transferred to KGMU on May 16, where a highly delicate surgery awaited him. Medical professionals faced the daunting task of removing the nail without damaging critical brain tissue or the sensitive nerves connecting his mouth to his brain.
The operation lasted four hours, with surgeons carefully navigating around the nail’s trajectory, as revealed in MRI scans shared by KGMU. These images showed the nail extending from the boy’s lower neck and jaw, piercing through to his skull.
Thanks to the skill and precision of the medical team, the boy is now recovering and considered incredibly fortunate given the severity of his injury.
This astonishing case highlights both the dangers hidden in everyday play and the extraordinary expertise of medical teams who save lives against all odds.
The MRI scans revealed just how perilously close the nail came to piercing the boy’s brain — a near miss that could have proven fatal if it had struck a different spot or ruptured a blood vessel, doctors at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) explained.
“It was during our investigation that we discovered the nail had traveled from the neck all the way into the brain, barely missing a major blood vessel,” said Dr. Sandip Tiwari, recounting the tense moments before surgery, according to ETV Bharat. “We immediately consulted experts from the Neurosurgery and ENT departments to plan this complex procedure.”
Professor Samir Misra, senior faculty in KGMU’s trauma surgery department, told The Hindustan Times that the intricate operation lasted four hours. “Any mistake during the surgery could have been fatal,” he said. “We had to carefully remove the nail while protecting the brain and the sensitive nerves between the mouth and the brain.”
Dr. Tiwari confirmed the surgery was a success, with the boy being transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for close monitoring as he began his recovery. Medical experts at KGMU said the child remains under observation and is expected to be discharged once stable, per The Hindustan Times.
In recognition of the remarkable outcome, KGMU’s Medical Superintendent noted that the case would be documented as a significant contribution to medical science. A detailed report on the surgery is set to be published in an international medical journal, offering valuable insights to medical professionals worldwide.
