A decision to perform a bronchoscopy examination was made after the lung department, under the direction of Prof. Gabriel Izvitsky, realized that the situation was not consistent with typical pneumonia and that something was blocking the airways. During the examination, Dr. Nader Abdel Rahman, director of the bronchoscopy unit, discovered a completely unusual finding, a lump that completely blocked the opening of the right lung. In a short time it became clear that it was a thick vertebra of a chicken bone, apparently one that was swallowed while drinking chicken soup.
According to Dr. Abdel Rahman, the blockage was complete and the danger was real. He describes how the bone led to a local inflammatory reaction and the creation of tissue around the foreign object, a kind of shell that the body produces in an attempt to protect itself. This shell made the blockage worse and deepened the risk of serious damage to the health and, in fact, immediate danger to life.
The procedure to remove the bone was performed in a short time and resulted in an almost immediate improvement in the patient’s condition. A., who recovered and was released to his home, says that he did not understand what caused the suffering that lasted for more than two months. According to him, he arrived at the hospital exhausted from an incessant cough that made it difficult to breathe. He says that he was afraid of the procedure, but he was relieved to find out that it was short and that thanks to the staff he was able to breathe again without difficulty. His wife adds that throughout the period she heard a cough she didn’t recognize, until the team at Shaare Zedek located the cause and treated it fully.