Toddler from Odisha Survives Life-Threatening Battery Injury Following Rare Surgery at Aster Medcity
Kochi : What began as a moment of innocent curiosity nearly ended in tragedy for two-year-old Priyanshi. The toddler, daughter of migrant workers Rajendra and Pushpalatha Panda from Odisha, accidentally swallowed a button battery, a small, shiny object common in many homes. Though her parents rushed her from their home in Odakkali, Perumbavoor to a nearby hospital where the battery was removed, the chemical damage had already set in. The battery burned a hole between her food pipe and windpipe, turning every sip of water into a choking hazard and leaving her at constant risk of fatal lung infections.
To make matters worse, the injury was located at one of the most complex and dangerous regions of the body, the junction between the neck and chest. This area houses vital blood vessels from the heart, nerves responsible for breathing and voice, and the delicate structures of the airway and food passage. Any surgical misstep could be fatal. Weak, malnourished, and feverish after evaluations at multiple Kochi hospitals, the child was urgently referred to Aster Medcity.
Under the leadership of Dr. Shawn T Joseph, Senior Consultant – Program Director Head & Neck Oncology Network, (Kerala Cluster) Aster Medcity, Kochi, multidisciplinary team of Head & Neck Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Pediatric Anesthesia, Intensive Care, and Swallowing Rehabilitation specialists collaborated on a high-stakes overnight surgery. Other doctors included in the treatment process were Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgery Senior Consultant Dr. Manoj P Nair, Head and Neck Oncology Associate Consultants such as Dr. Sourabh Padmanabhan, – Dr. Sarah Mary Thampi, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Associate Consultant Dr. Abhijith George, Associate Consultant – Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Dr. Karunya R Gopal, Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Senior Consultant Dr. Kavitha Sadan, Voice & Swallowing Pathologist Ms. Heera Thomas and Staff Nurse Hridya.
“This case was a race against time in one of the most anatomically challenging areas of the human body. We have to carefully separate the child’s windpipe from her food pipe without injuring the nerves that protect breathing and voice. It was only through the coordination, we were able to successfully complete the surgery.” said Dr. Shawn T Joseph, Senior Consultant – Program Director Head & Neck Oncology Network, (Kerala Cluster) Aster Medcity, Kochi.
The postoperative journey was also fragile. The child stayed in the ICU on ventilator support. After extubation, air leaked into her chest, partially collapsing her lung, but quick action restored it.
For weeks, she could not eat nutrition was given through an intestinal tube to protect and heal her damaged food pipe. When feeding restarted, even small swallows caused coughing and risk of aspiration. There were also setbacks, fever, fears, nights of intense monitoring. But the team stayed firm. Slowly, tubes were removed, coughing stopped, and fevers settled. The examination done afterwards showed a full recovery. Today, she eats normally, speaks clearly, breathes freely, and lives without fear: an injury once thought impossible has healed completely.
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