Man Who Ingested Toilet Cleaner Saved After Six-Hour Surgery at SS Narayana Centre

Davanagere, March 28 – A 40-year-old man who ingested toilet cleaner in an alleged suicide attempt, has survived after undergoing extensive surgical intervention and critical care at SS Narayana Super Speciality Centre here.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday with a team of doctors, surgical gastroenterologist R.K. Hanumanth Naik said The patient, hailing from a neighbouring district, was admitted in a critical condition and required immediate life-saving treatment.

According to Dr. R. K. Hanumanth Naik, the man had consumed toilet cleaner containing hydrochloric acid and other toxic chemicals. Upon arrival at the hospital, he was placed on ventilator support with ionotropic assistance due to his deteriorating condition.

 “A CT scan of the abdomen revealed ischemia (reduced blood flow) affecting the stomach and proximal small bowel, while an endoscopic evaluation classified his stomach injury as Zargar grade 4—one of the most severe forms of corrosive injury,” said Dr. Naik.

Given the extent of the damage, a multi-disciplinary team led by Dr. Naik performed an emergency total gastrectomy (complete removal of the stomach), cervical esophagostomy (surgical redirection of the esophagus), draining transabdominal esophagostomy, and a feeding jejunostomy (a procedure to allow nutrition through the small intestine). “These interventions were necessary to manage the perforated stomach and prevent further complications,” he added.

The multidisciplinary team comprised experts from surgical Gastroenterology, emergency medicine, anaesthesia, and intensivist and worked together to ensure the patient’s successful recovery. 

The patient remained on ventilator support for six days before showing signs of recovery. Following careful post-surgical monitoring and ward-based management, he was eventually discharged in stable condition, said Dr. Naik. He also mentioned that while the six-hour long surgery gave the patient a new lease of life.

Management of SS Hospital and Narayana Health, Davanagere  praised the efforts of the doctors and congratulated the team for their excellent work.

The successful surgery was made possible through the collaborative efforts of a dedicated team of medical professionals. Led by Dr. R.K. Hanumanth Naik, the operating team included Dr. Nagaraja N. and Dr. Jayanth M., who played a crucial role in the surgical intervention. The anaesthesia team, comprising Dr. Chirag Babu P.S., Dr. Jayashree Patil, and Dr. Anu, ensured the patient remained stable throughout the procedure.  intensivists Dr. Kiran B.R. and Dr. Vishwas G.K., emergency medicine specialists, Dr. Narendra S.S., Dr. Ganesh B.S., and Dr. Dileep C.N., contributed significantly to the patient's initial stabilization and overall recovery.

 In the press conference Dr Chirag Babu, Facility Director Mr Sunil Bhandarigal, Marketing Manager Prashant and others were present.