Unnikrishnan Sivaraman, a 60-year-old Indian man living in Sharjah, spent two months battling a persistent cough and severe chest congestion, unaware that a 2cm milkfish bone was lodged deep in his airway. The incident began on July 1 when he inhaled a bone while eating, leading to nausea and blood-tinged vomiting. He visited Aster Hospital Al Qusais but was sent home without a definitive diagnosis, leaving him to struggle with worsening breathing difficulties for weeks.
It wasn't until a CT scan at a different facility that the culprit was finally identified. By August 26, when Sivaraman was referred to Aster Hospital Mankhool, the bone had been sitting in his right main bronchus for over eight weeks. The prolonged presence caused significant inflammation and granulation tissue to grow around the sharp edges, making a simple extraction impossible. The medical team had to coordinate a delicate bronchoscopy procedure to safely remove the object without damaging his vocal cords or causing bleeding.
Dr. Jolsana Augustine, a pulmonologist, first maneuvered the bone toward the upper airway, while ENT specialist Dr. Bharath Neranki Satish Rao used specialized forceps to extract it. The procedure, completed on September 11, required a multidisciplinary approach involving Pulmonology, ENT, and Anesthesia specialists to mitigate the risks associated with the bone's size and location. Sivaraman was discharged within hours of the surgery, reporting a drastic improvement in his breathing at his follow-up appointment.
This case serves as a stark reminder that a choking incident is not just a momentary scare if symptoms linger. Persistent coughing, chest tightness, or difficulty breathing after inhaling food or a bone should never be ignored. If you or a loved one experience these symptoms after eating, seek a comprehensive pulmonary evaluation immediately rather than relying on basic emergency room checks that might miss a lodged foreign body.