New Delhi, India - August 28, 2024

In a rare and life-threatening case, doctors at a hospital in northern India’s Delhi successfully extracted a 3 cm-long live cockroach from a young man’s intestines, saving his life through a ten-minute endoscopic procedure.

The incident took place at Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, in New Delhi on August 28.

Visuals showed after the successful surgery, Dr. Shubham Vatsya explained that a live 3 cm cockroach was found in the patient’s small intestine. The insect could have caused fatal infections if not removed. The medical team quickly performed an endoscopy to extract the cockroach in a ten-minute procedure, saving the patient's life.

A young man from Delhi was rushed to Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, after complaining of severe stomach pain and an inability to eat for several days. Following a thorough medical assessment, doctors discovered a live cockroach residing in the patient's small intestine, which could have led to fatal complications if not removed swiftly.

Dr. Shubham Vatsya, Senior Consultant in Gastroenterology, led the emergency surgery, using advanced endoscopy to remove the insect within ten minutes. According to Dr. Vatsya, the patient may have unknowingly swallowed the cockroach while eating or while sleeping.

“Having a live cockroach in the small intestine is a life-threatening situation. If the insect had died, it would have disintegrated and caused severe infections, worsening the patient’s health,” Dr. Vatsya stated. The patient is now recovering well, thanks to the prompt and skilled intervention of the medical team.