Setting farts ablaze isn’t just a low-brow party trick performed by those with alcohol-induced impaired judgment, but a real medical risk. According to a story in the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun , a routine surgery in Japan took a combustible turn for the worst after a patient’s intestinal gas leak reacted with the laser used in the surgery, setting the surgical drapes ablaze.
The patient, a woman in her 30’s undergoing surgery on the lower part of her uterus, suffered serious burns on the lower half of her body, including her waist and legs.
The incident occurred in April, but only recently gained notoriety after a team of external concluded their investigation confirming that the passed gas was the most likely cause. Not only were no flammable substances found in the operating room at the time of the accident, but all hospital equipment proved without defect.
“When the patient’s intestinal gas leaked into the space of the operation (room), it ignited with the irradiation of the laser, and the burning spread, eventually reaching the surgical drape and causing the fire.”
While all medical procedures carry some degree of risk, L.A.-based surgeon Michael Zadeh feels skeptical about the investigation’s findings. Speaking with the Huffington Post, Zadeh explains that it would take “more than an unusual amount of methane” in the colon to cause substantial tissue damage and that nothing of the sort ever occurred during the multitude of colorectal and anal surgeries he’s performed. “All instances that I have heard of have involved cases of bowel obstruction where there is a build-up of methane gas. I doubt that this was the only factor in the story.”
ABC reports that the investigation recommended additional training for medical personnel on taking future precautions to prevent flatulence from interfering with laser beams, and learning how to put out the fire.
Source: Mental Floss
Advertisement
Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine
