I vividly remember this little boy named Mahalingam who accidentally swallowed molten bronze burning his gullet or food pipe.

A recollection from the article "Medical Miracle Saves Mahalingam's Life" in Purasai times on 15th February 2001.

Mahalingam hails from a poor Agricultural family from Vaigaikulam village in Tiruneveli Dist Tamil Nadu. In May 1997 after writing his 10th Std exams he accidentally swallowed melted bronze at his Uncle's factory. With a burnt gullet he was rushed to the Tirunelveli Medical college Hospital. There his esophagus (Food pipe) was removed. Also parts of his stomach were removed (Gastrostomy) and a opening was made on his Neck and a Tube inserted for him to Breathe (Tracheostomy) For the past 3 - 5 years he was then fed through a pipe inserted into his stomach. One good Samaritan called Selvakumar working in Dinamalar Office Tiruneveli heard about his case and personally brought the boy and his parents to Chennai city for further treatment if possible. But by then complications one after the other began to set in.

Mahalingam's condition was made stable so that he could finally undergo the last procedure called "Pharyngo - Colic Anastomosis" A week back this 6 hour operation was conducted by a Team of six Doctors led by Dr. Rajkumar of Rigid Hospital,Kilpauk, Chennai.

In this Procedure a part of his Large intestine was Cut and was re fashioned to serve as a food pipe it was pulled 20 feet high through the lungs area and finally fixed close to his mouth. After the procedure the boy was on a heart lung machine for a few days and by the time you are reading this report he would probably have been discharged.

Truly over the years life has now been given back to Mahalingam partly by the Tean of Doctors who performed this Medical Miracle and partly by the many Good Samaritans who came forward willingly to sponsor his treatment from time to time. May the Good lord bless them all, and may he grant Mahalingam a new healthy Lease of Life.

I cut open Mahalingam to perform the surgery. Today Nazeema aged 32 (featured in claws of Death) whose gullet was almost closed was operated upon laparoscopically . Indeed the advancement in the medical technology is a boon to the patients. I try to convince and earnestly pray to every member of the fraternity to upgrade and adopt to changing techniques to help and reduce the suffering time of the patients considerably, as some of the surgeons are reluctant to change with times.

Now at Lifeline hospital we perform the keyhole surgeries with a single port or a hole instead of the conventional four ports.