Lithium battery removed from 10-year-old’s stomach in Stanley hospital

Prof P Ravichandran, Director of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation, said that lithium batteries were more dangerous than regular ones. “The battery that the boy swallowed is of lithium, which can make huge ulcerations, causing even perforation of the food pipe. The incident took place three days ago and the battery had landed in the lower end of the food pipe. 

Due to its sticky nature, the battery had caused ulceration, which could have potentially caused narrowing and obstruction of the pipe. Our endoscopy team which is available round the clock, immediately removed the battery at 11 pm, and the ulcer is healing well,” said the doctor. 

Tharun, who is the eldest son of Mathiazhagan, a painter, and Dhanam of Nagapattinam, had swallowed the battery around 3 pm on September 28.

He was taken to the Nagapattinam Government General Hospital, where first-aid was given. Since this was a rare and serious medical emergency, which required speciality care, the case was referred to the Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital, where a team headed by Prof S Jeswanth, endoscopically removed the battery from the food pipe.