Docs at AIIMS Trauma Centre Removed Arrow From 12-year-old Archer’s Body

Doctors from AIIMS’s Trauma Centre successfully operated Shivangini Gohain (12) an Assam archer who was accidently hit by an arrow during a training session at Khelo India event being held in Guwahati. The surgeons removed the arrow which was about 15cm embedded inside her body affecting multiple key organs.

The young archer was practicing during a regular training session at Chabua in Assam’s Dibrugarh district. Thereafter, she was rushed to the nearby hospital for the medical care. Later in the evening on Friday, she was airlifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)’s trauma center for specialised treatment.

According to doctors at AIIMS, the arrow has entered the body through shoulder area, hitting neck and damaging the part of spinal cord and left lung.

Dr Deepak Gupta, professor of neurosurgery at AIIMS said that the arrow had pierced girl’s shoulder bone and damaged part of the neck, vertebra and the left lung. Post surgery patient is stable and shifted to ICU for observation.

“It was a complex and challenging surgery as it was touching vertebral artery which supplies blood to the brain. We removed the metal rod very carefully as lying 0.5 cm of the arrow was in front of the spinal cord and we were very alert while removing the rod. A slight error could have made a child quadriplegic if someone tried to pull it out” said Dr Gupta.

The Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) is being held in Guwahati, Assam till 22 January.  The national sports event will witness multidisciplinary games to be played below the 17 years age and 21 years age categories respectively.