Stuck guide wire after surgery: Medical Board says attempts to retrieve guide wire can potentially cause more harm to the patient

The medical board which had been constituted by the government to examine in detail the case of Sumayya (24) — in whom a guide wire which had been used to insert a central line during a thyroidectomy surgery she underwent two years ago was found retained — has given its consensus opinion that attempts to retrieve the guide wire can potentially cause more harm to the patient, it is learnt.

“The guide wire was retained inadvertently following a surgery she underwent two years ago and it has now become endothelialized (endothelial cell lining has covered the guidewire making it a part of the vein) that its retrieval poses serious risks to the patient. The material is inert and because it has become endothelialized, its position is fixed now and remains in the body more or less like a stent does. This does not pose any risks to the patient,” medical sources said here on Thursday.

While the standard practice in medicine is the removal of a guidewire as soon as it serves its purpose, there is also medical literature which acknowledges that there are situations in interventional radiology where a decision might be taken to leave the guidewire and monitor the patient when the risks of surgical or endovascular extraction might pose potential complications to the patient, they said.

Experts assent

While the medical board, which consisted of experts — from the fields of cardiovascular thoracic surgery, radiodiagnosis, anaesthesiology and general surgery and radiology and interventional radiology — from the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, has given its consensus opinion. Further decisions regarding the patient’s future management would be given only after a detailed examination of the patient later.

The woman had undergone thyroid removal surgery in March 2023 at General Hospital here. The fact that the guide wire was still stuck inside her was revealed in April 2025, during one of her follow-up treatment visits at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), when an X-ray was taken.

With the patient and her family raising allegations of medical negligence and demanding action against the doctor who performed the surgery, the government had stepped in to set up the experts’ body so as to decide the further course of action.

Health Minister Veena George said in the Assembly last week that an inquiry was on and that action would be taken against anyone found to have committed medical negligence.

The patient as well as the surgeon at the General Hospital had testified before the medical board.

The patient and her family have demanded monetary compensation as well as assurance from the Government that all costs of her future treatment would be borne by the government.