Medical Dialogues had previously reported that in a shocking case of alleged medical negligence at the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital, a young woman suffered complications after a guide wire was reportedly left inside her chest following thyroid gland removal surgery.
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On Friday, cardiologists at the Medical College Hospital (MCH) examined her in the catheterisation (Cath) lab, using minimally invasive techniques to assess whether the wire could be safely removed. The procedure focused on locating the wire and evaluating the risks associated with its retrieval. The government had constituted a medical board, which consisted of experts from the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology — from the fields of cardiovascular thoracic surgery, radiodiagnosis, anaesthesiology and general surgery and radiology, and interventional radiology — to examine Sumayya’s case, reports the Hindu.
Speaking to Onmanorama, Dr Jabbar said that following the recommendations of a government-appointed expert committee, the cardiology department subjected her to tests, including an angiogram, to determine the current position and condition of the guide wire. The examination was aimed at understanding the complexities involved and deciding on further treatment, including whether the wire needed to be removed.
According to the board’s consensus, any attempt to retrieve the guide wire at this stage could pose significant harm. Not only has the wire fused with the vein, but efforts to remove it might result in life-threatening complications, such as damage to vital blood vessels or internal bleeding.
Despite the seriousness of the oversight, the medical board has clarified that the position of the wire is now stable and unlikely to cause immediate or long-term harm, provided it remains undisturbed.
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The situation dates back to March 22, 2023, when Sumayya underwent thyroid surgery at the General Hospital. During her stay in the intensive care unit following the procedure, a guide wire was inserted to administer calcium. However, a chest X-ray taken on March 2, 2025, revealed that the guide wire — measuring approximately 70 centimetres — had been unintentionally left inside her body.
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