AIIMS Nagpur saves Life of 23-Year-Old Woman After Two-Year Battle With Corrosive Injury

Doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences Nagpur successfully restored swallowing ability in a 23-year-old woman who had been unable to eat for nearly two years following corrosive substance ingestion.

The patient had consumed a corrosive substance in 2024, resulting in severe damage to her food pipe and upper digestive tract. She gradually became unable to swallow even saliva and required tube gastrostomy and feeding jejunostomy for nutritional support. By May 2025, her condition had deteriorated drastically — her body weight had fallen to just 14 kilograms, with a shocking BMI of 5.5. She was unable to sit or walk and was severely malnourished with extreme muscle wasting (Pre-operative Images 1 and 2).

She was admitted at AIIMS Nagpur for comprehensive optimization and was converted to the BPL category to ensure free treatment. Over eight months, she underwent supervised rehabilitation under the Department of PMR led by Dr. Harshanand, with medical support from Dr. Onkar (General Medicine) and counseling from the Department of Psychiatry. With structured nutrition and physiotherapy, she improved to walking 4,000–6,000 steps daily and reached 24 kilograms before surgery.

After detailed discussions in a multidisciplinary meeting involving surgical, anesthesia, and critical care teams, the patient was planned for definitive reconstructive surgery.

On 12 January 2026, a 10-hour complex reconstructive surgery was successfully performed by a team of surgeons comprising Dr. Mohansundaram, Dr. Nirjhar, Dr. Kiran (ENT Surgeon), and Dr. Raghvendra, with perioperative contribution from Dr. Manpreet and Dr. Prachiti.

During the procedure, a surgical passage was created in the chest beneath the sternum. The damaged food pipe was reconstructed using a segment of the large intestine, which was carefully positioned within the chest. Four critical anastomoses were performed in the neck and abdominal regions to restore continuity of the digestive tract.

The entire surgery was carried out free of cost under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) scheme, ensuring that the patient received advanced, life-saving treatment without financial burden.

Anesthesia care was led by Dr. Bhuvneshwari, while postoperative intensive care was supervised by Dr. Sucheta and the ICU team. Nursing officers Vandana, Atharv, Prem, and Gopal provided continuous perioperative support.

The postoperative course was smooth. On the fifth day after surgery, the patient began oral intake and swallowed her first bite of banana after nearly two years. She has since gained an additional 2 kilograms and continues to recover steadily.

Dr. Prashant Joshi :Executive Director  congratulated the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology  and reiterated that AIIMS Nagpur remains committed to delivering advanced care to complex and economically poor patients.