An American maintenance worker accidentally swallowed a small metal piece used in a dental drill during a routine dental treatment, and the drill bit remained in his lungs for four days before being surgically removed.
Tom Gozzi, 60, from Illinois, experienced a sudden severe coughing fit, prompting his transfer to the hospital, where tests revealed that a small metal piece had fallen into his airway and lodged near the bottom of his right lung. Doctors explored various options to extract the metal piece from the man's lung, including cutting a portion of the lung before the piece damaged surrounding tissues. However, experts at Aurora Medical Center in Wisconsin suggested using a type of catheter typically employed to detect lung cancer.
A video shows the catheterization procedure performed through the airways, successfully extracting the metal drilling piece without harming the patient's body. The catheter used is scientifically referred to as an ion robot and is usually available only for research in lung cancer patients. Gozzi, who kept the metal piece on a shelf in his home, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the doctors who performed the procedure and saved his lung from damage, according to the Daily Mail.
