In a life-threatening case, doctors from a Delhi hospital successfully removed a live cockroach from a young man’s small intestines as he suffered from severe pain and discomfort, after using endoscopy. According to the Fortis Hospital, the 22-year-old complained of excruciating stomachache and difficulty in digesting food for the last 2-3 days.

And so, a team led by Dr. Shubham Vatsya, Senior Consultant, Gastroenterology, Fortis Hospital assessed the case and removed the insect via a ten-minute long endoscopy - a procedure that uses a thin, flexible tube with a camera and light on the end to treat the inside of your body. Dr. Vatsya said the cockroach - 3 cm in size, was lying live in the patient’s small intestine.

He said that had the cockroach died, it would have disintegrated – aggravating the patient’s overall health.

The team of doctors meticulously removed the cockroach through an endoscopic procedure that involved an endoscope with two channels - one for air and water infusion and the other for air suction.

They activated the suction button on the scope, effectively sucking the cockroach into the suction channel, leading to its removal from the body and saving the man’s life. “We immediately rushed into the process of removing the cockroach via an endoscopy procedure. The patient may have either swallowed the cockroach while eating food or the insect may have entered the patient's mouth while he was sleeping. Had the cockroach not been removed on time, it could have led to various fatal leading to infectious disorders,” Dr. Vatsya told the media.

According to experts, cockroaches are a dangerous allergen source and asthma triggers. They also carry certain bacteria that lead to illnesses if left on food. However, if they get inside your body, they can be life-threatening as well.

Doctors say an insect carries bacteria and parasites on its body and can lead to an infection at the entry point, like a wound or bite, or if it is swallowed and the bacteria it carries are released into the digestive system. Even though most, of the insects that accidentally enter the body harmlessly get expelled by natural bodily functions, some get stuck.

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