Nagpur: In an extraordinary display of medical expertise and multidisciplinary care, doctors at the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), AIIMS Nagpur, successfully saved the life of a six-year-old girl who suffered devastating neck injuries in a ferocious stray dog attack while protecting her younger sibling.

The child sustained life-threatening injuries to her neck after bravely shielding her younger sibling during the attack. The injuries severely damaged her airway, leaving her unable to breathe normally.

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Recognising the immediate danger, doctors initially performed an emergency tracheostomy, a life-saving procedure in which a tube is inserted directly into the windpipe through the neck to secure the airway and enable breathing. Once her condition was stabilised, she was referred to AIIMS Nagpur for advanced treatment.

At the Department of ENT, specialists conducted a detailed evaluation and found that the dog’s bite had shattered the child’s thyroid cartilage—the protective framework of the voice box—and severely injured her right vocal cord. She had also sustained a bleeding wound inside the airway, affecting her ability to breathe, speak and swallow.

Doctors said managing a severely crushed and infected airway in a child is among the most complex challenges in modern medicine. The ENT team devised a carefully planned, multi-stage surgical strategy to restore the damaged airway and voice box.

The child underwent a comprehensive examination under general anaesthesia, received specialised care in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and underwent multiple reconstructive airway surgeries. During the procedures, surgeons discovered that scar tissue had completely blocked her airway.

Over the following weeks, a multidisciplinary team comprising ENT surgeons, anaesthesiologists and paediatric specialists meticulously rebuilt the fractured framework of her voice box, removed infections caused by the deep animal bite wounds and reconstructed the delicate internal lining of her windpipe.

Following the successful surgeries, the young patient underwent an intensive rehabilitation programme. In the final phase of treatment, doctors successfully performed decannulation, permanently removing the tracheostomy tube after confirming that she could breathe safely on her own.

The child is now breathing normally through her nose and mouth, speaking clearly and has regained her swallowing function. She has been discharged from the hospital, reunited with the younger sibling she courageously protected, returned to school and resumed playing without any breathing difficulties.

The remarkable recovery highlights the advanced surgical capabilities of AIIMS Nagpur in managing complex paediatric airway emergencies and underscores the importance of coordinated multidisciplinary care.

Executive Director Prof. Dr. Prashant Joshi praised the six-year-old girl’s exceptional courage in protecting her younger sibling despite the grave danger she faced. The ENT Department also acknowledged the invaluable support provided by the Departments of Paediatrics and Anaesthesiology in the successful management of this rare and challenging case.