56 Metal Objects, Including Batteries and Blades, Removed from 15-Year-Old’s Stomach; Dies Post-Surgery
Doctors removed 56 metal objects from stomach
New Delhi: A 15-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh's Hathras tragically passed away a day after undergoing major surgery at a Delhi hospital, where doctors removed an astonishing 56 objects—including watch batteries, blades, nails, and other metal fragments—from his stomach.
The unusual discovery within the body of Aditya Sharma, a Class 9 student, has left both his family and medical experts perplexed, his father Sanchit Sharma, a Hathras-based medical representative, told PTI.
The boy died shortly after the surgery at Safdarjung Hospital, as his heart rate spiked and his blood pressure dropped alarmingly, Sanchit shared.
The presence of the foreign objects was first detected in multiple medical check-ups conducted across hospitals in Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur, and Delhi, after Aditya began complaining of severe stomach pain and breathing difficulties.
Sanchit recounted the family’s ordeal: “My son was initially taken to a local hospital in Hathras, from where, on medical advice, he was moved to a Jaipur hospital, which discharged him after brief treatment.”
However, when Aditya’s symptoms reappeared, the family took him to a hospital in Aligarh, where a surgery was performed to relieve his breathing issues.
An ultrasound conducted post-surgery at Aligarh on October 26 revealed the presence of about 19 items inside Aditya's body, leading doctors to refer him to a more advanced medical facility in Noida. Further scans there revealed approximately 56 metal fragments, prompting the family to transfer Aditya to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, where a major surgery was performed on October 27.
"Doctors said that about 56 foreign objects were removed from my son's body after the surgery at this Delhi hospital. Subsequently, three more foreign objects were removed, which surprised even the doctors who conceded that they were clueless about how this was medically possible," Sanchit told PTI.
"I must say that the doctors did try their best but perhaps destiny willed otherwise. My son died a day after the surgery at the Delhi hospital as his heart rate spiked and his BP dropped alarmingly," he said.
Sanchit admitted that Aditya's case left even the doctors puzzled, as there were no signs of injury in his mouth or throat to suggest whether the objects were ingested deliberately or accidentally.
"I lost my only son and am now left with my daughter, who, like the rest of us, is shaken by this terrible, unexplained, and mysterious tragedy to have hit us out of nowhere," he said, expressing his devastation. The unexplained death of Aditya has raised numerous questions, leaving both his family and the medical community in a state of disbelief.
(with inputs from PTI)
Rishika Verma is a graduate from Delhi University. She joined Medical Dialogues in 2023. Her interest lies in reporting health news, hospital updates, health updates, medical case studies, and advancements in healthcare, etc.