A government-formed medical board has reached a critical consensus regarding the case of 24-year-old Sumayya, who was found to have a guide wire retained in her body following a thyroidectomy surgery two years ago. The board has concluded that any attempts to retrieve this guide wire could potentially pose greater harm to the patient.
Medical sources revealed on Thursday that the guide wire, inadvertently left inside after a central line insertion during her surgery, has since become ‘endothelialized’. This means a lining of endothelial cells has grown over it, effectively making it a part of the vein, similar to how a stent integrates with the body. Due to this integration, its position is now fixed, and the material itself is inert, posing no immediate risks to the patient. Its retrieval, however, carries significant dangers.
While medical best practice typically dictates the removal of a guide wire once its purpose is served, existing medical literature acknowledges specific situations in interventional radiology where leaving a guide wire in place, under careful patient monitoring, is deemed the safer option when surgical or endovascular extraction presents potential complications.
Expert Consensus Reached
The medical board, comprising specialists in cardiovascular thoracic surgery, radiodiagnosis, anaesthesiology, general surgery, and interventional radiology from the esteemed Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, has provided its unified opinion. Further decisions concerning the patient’s long-term management will be made following a more comprehensive examination.
Sumayya underwent thyroid removal surgery in March 2023 at the General Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. The presence of the stuck guide wire was only discovered in April 2025 during a routine follow-up X-ray at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC).
The patient and her family have expressed allegations of medical negligence and demanded accountability from the surgeon involved. In response, the government intervened by establishing this expert body to determine the appropriate course of action.
Last week, Health Minister Veena George addressed the Assembly, confirming that an inquiry is underway and that stringent action will be taken against anyone found responsible for medical negligence.
Both the patient and the surgeon from the General Hospital presented their testimonies before the medical board.
The patient and her family are seeking monetary compensation and a governmental assurance to cover all future treatment expenses associated with this complication.