Girl consumes 'smoky paan', undergoes surgery after hole observed in stomach

She had consumed it at a wedding reception

PTI, May 22, 2024 : Consuming a seemingly harmless liquid nitrogen-infused "smoky paan" landed a 12-year-old girl in Bengaluru on the operation table after a hole was observed in her stomach.

The girl, whose identity has been withheld by Narayana Multispeciality Hospital here, underwent a surgery recently.

According to the hospital, the girl had consumed 'smoky paan' at a wedding reception in Bengaluru.

The girl was diagnosed with a hole in her stomach (perforation peritonitis) necessitating emergency surgical intervention to prevent further complications, the hospital said in a statement.

The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy with intra-op-OGD scopy and sleeve gastrectomy was swiftly conducted to address the critical condition, it said.

"Intra-op OGD scopy- a procedure, where an endoscope, a flexible tube with a camera and light, is used during surgery to examine the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum-the first part of the small intestine," the hospital quoted Dr Vijay H S, who headed the team of doctors, which performed the operation, as saying.

There was an unhealthy patch of about 4x5 cm on the lesser curvature of the stomach which was taken care of with sleeve resection (a part of stomach been removed), the hospital said, adding post surgery she had two days of ICU stay and was discharged after six days.