Elderly Individual Suffers Impalement by Iron Rod
In the heart of the Czech Republic, a man suffered a devastating mishap during a cherry-picking session at a buddy's place. The 59-year-old gentleman had an unfortunate tumble from a ladder and landed awkwardly on an iron rod, causing the rod to pierce through his upper torso. The rod had passed through both lung lobes, coming distressingly close to his heart and other essential organs, as detailed by the University Hospital in Olomouc (Olomouc).
During an excruciating five-hour procedure, medical professionals managed to save the man's life. This was a first-time experience for those involved in the surgery, they shared. The man recalled the incident in the village of Vikos, "I was hanging onto the ladder with one hand, using the other to remove the basket from the hook and lower it down. In that split second, the ladder gave way or slipped, causing me to fall."
Upon his unsteady descent, the man landed sideways right on the metal rod, meant to prop up a small tree. "I considered pulling the rod out myself, but luckily a friend advised against it," he said. Before the patient could be taken to the hospital, firefighters were necessitated to intervene. "They had to sever both ends of the rod with a hydraulic shear so that I could fit into the ambulance," the patient revealed later.
"A few millimeters more, and the man would have been irreversibly damaged," said surgeon Martin Kalab. The doctors utilised a surgical technique typically employed in organ transplantations to save the patient. After a fortnight-long hospital stay, the patient was allowed to return home.
