Dr Devender Panwar, a surgeon, who conducted the operation successfully in a private hospital, said the patient approached them on Tuesday night and when he was examined, it came to light that his intestine had been damaged and he was immediately taken to the operation theatre.
"During sanitization of his intestine the worm having a length of around 6.3 feet was taken out alive. Such kind of worms nurture in the body by consuming food like half-cooked pork and unwashed vegetables," he added.
The doctor stated that the scientific name of the worm was 'taenia solium', which stays in the body for at least 25 years and may lead to epilepsy at later stage. However, the patient is stable and under observation, he added. He stated that the worm may also cause death as it affects the brain, which weakens the body. He added that all vegetables must be washed properly before eating.
Panwar said that even a CT scan, ultrasound and other equipment could not identify the worm in the body. "Even I didn't have the idea about the worm and when an X-ray was conducted it was found that some portion of the intestine had been ripped off and need an operation immediately. Thereafter, when I saw the hole in the intestine and examined it minutely, I came to know about the worm, which was alive. It was immediately removed," he maintained.
The doctor added that some time ago the same kind of worm, about 6-foot long, had been removed from another patient through the mouth at Sir Gangaram Hospital of Delhi. Such kinds of cases are rare in the country, he said.
Talking to mediapersons, Ravi, the patient, said he had been suffering from fever a fortnight ago and had gone to several hospitals for the same but no one could sort out his problem.
"I approached the PGIMS, Rohtak, as my body had started rejecting the food but everyone failed to diagnose the issue. Meanwhile, I came to know about a hospital in Kaithal, which finally managedd to diagnose and remove the worm", he added.
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