BRAZIL, May 6: A remarkable tale unfolded when a man narrowly escaped death despite being impaled by an iron rod through his perineum in a bizarre accident. Detailed scans depicted the rod’s trajectory through the 57-year-old’s body, extending into his chest. The unidentified Brazilian man was working on scaffolding when a fall from a height of 5 meters led to the 3ft pole piercing him in a critical area, penetrating his liver, and reaching the top of his diaphragm, narrowly avoiding his heart.
CT scans further revealed the rod’s path through his abdomen and thorax, yet astonishingly, he survived the ordeal. Medical professionals shared the harrowing account of the injury, describing the meticulous process of removing the pole in a surgical procedure. Despite the severity of the incident, the man remarkably suffered no lasting complications and was discharged to a general ward after just three days, with stable vital signs upon admission to Complexo Hospitalar do Trabalhador in Curitiba.
Emergency surgery was swiftly performed, involving a sternotomy to access and extract the rod, along with damaged tissue, followed by internal wound closure. Subsequent care in intensive care included blood transfusions, and within a short span, the patient showed remarkable progress, being able to walk and eat within days. Physiotherapy was also initiated during his stay in the ward.
Upon a follow-up assessment twelve days post-operation, doctors noted abnormal scar tissue on part of his urethra, prompting plans for corrective surgery. The outcome of this procedure and subsequent appointments were not disclosed. The medical team, in their report published in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, highlighted the rarity of such incidents, noting a higher occurrence among construction workers. Perineal impalement injuries, they emphasized, carry a significant risk of fatality, with complications like abscesses or sepsis seen in a substantial percentage of cases, even with prompt surgical intervention.