Indian Army Doctors Save Infant Who Swallowed LED Bulb With Corrosive Wires in Pune (See Pics)

Military medical specialists at the Army Institute of Cardio-Thoracic Sciences (AICTS) in Pune successfully extracted a hazardous foreign object from a nine-month-old infant's respiratory tract, preventing a critical airway obstruction. The medical team performed an emergency, minimally invasive procedure to retrieve a tiny light-emitting diode (LED) bulb equipped with corrosive wiring that had become deeply lodged inside the child's left lung.

Emergency Bronchoscopy Intervention

The patient was admitted to the specialised defence medical facility under acute respiratory distress. Diagnostic imaging revealed that the swallowed hardware was positioned deep inside the main airway path of the left lung, creating an immediate risk of internal chemical burns and tissue degradation due to the corrosive nature of the exposed wires. Mumbai: Labourer Undergoes 3-Hour Surgery To Remove 13 cm Iron Rod From Eye at JJ Hospital in Byculla.

Doctors Save Life of Infant in Pune

Specialists at Army Institute of Cardio-Thoracic Sciences (#AICTS), Pune successfully saved the life of a 9-month-old infant after removing a hazardous LED bulb with corrosive wires lodged deep inside the airway of the left lung through a highly complex bronchoscopic procedure.… pic.twitter.com/iraVg0kJmc

— Southern Command INDIAN ARMY (@IaSouthern) May 28, 2026

Faced with a rapidly narrowing window for intervention, the AICTS specialist team opted for an advanced bronchoscopy rather than an open-chest surgical route. The specialised method involves threading a thin, flexible tube integrated with a high-definition camera and micro-instruments through the upper respiratory tract to visualise and extract blockages directly.

Official Statement from the Southern Command

The successful operation drew commendation from regional military leadership. The Southern Command of the Indian Army formally detailed the medical event in a public broadcast statement: "Specialists at Army Institute of Cardio-Thoracic Sciences (#AICTS), Pune successfully saved the life of a 9-month-old infant after removing a hazardous LED bulb with corrosive wires lodged deep inside the airway of the left lung through a highly complex bronchoscopic procedure," the Southern Command stated.

Hospital authorities reported that navigating the delicate, infant-sized airway required extreme precision to avoid dislodging the sharp wire components or tearing the bronchial walls during retrieval. "The life-threatening emergency, which carried risks of airway collapse and major lung surgery, was managed with exceptional precision, restoring normal breathing and averting a potentially fatal outcome without complications," the army added.

Clinical Outcome and Safety Warning

Following the successful extraction, the facility released clinical imagery verifying the safe removal of the sharp, red electronic component alongside comparative pre- and post-operative chest X-rays. The post-procedure scans confirmed that the child's lung function and airway structural integrity were completely restored. Pediatric surgeons at the institute noted that foreign body aspiration—the accidental breathing in of small objects - remains a primary cause of accidental home injury in infants under one year of age. Madhya Pradesh: Woman Undergoes Uterus Surgery at Meera Hospital in Sagar Without Family's Consent, Dies Later Due to Complications; Complaint Filed Against Doctor.

Standard medical protocols dictate that objects containing volatile chemical components, such as batteries or copper wiring, require immediate emergency removal to prevent severe internal chemical damage to mucosal tissues. The infant has since recovered fully and remains under routine post-operative observation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2026 08:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).