Japanese Woman Passes Gas During Surgery, Causing Fire
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Japanese woman's medical misfortune is making headlines worldwide.
The woman in her 30s reportedly went to Tokyo Medical University Hospital in April for cervical laser surgery. While she was on the operating table, a fire broke out, burning her legs.
The hospital investigated and recently released a report, saying the flames were caused by the patient passing gas at the worst possible moment, CBS2's Dave Carlin reported.
The report said "the patient's intestinal gas" was "ignited with the irradiation of the laser," and "the burn spread, eventually reaching the surgical drape."
"It seems like something out of a cartoon. It doesn't seem like it would be a real thing," Arthur Brodsky, of East Village, said.
"It's scary to think about dying while you have surgery, and all because you passed gas," Angelina Thomas, of Staten Island, said.
Doctors say they want patients to be informed but when it comes to this case, they hope people look beyond the headlines and realize how rare it is.
"It is exceedingly rare for this to happen," Robert Glatter, who works as an emergency room physician at Lenox Hill Hospital, told Carlin.
Glatter said he is skeptical and questioned what other factors may have contributed to the case.
"It could be the solvents, the antiseptics that contain alcohol, those themselves are flammable. If it's not dry before the procedure takes place, it is possible this could ignite," he said.
Plenty of people said they aren't worried at all.
"This is just another thing not to be afraid of," Damian Handzy, of Westfield, New Jersey, said.
The hospital in Tokyo maintains all its medical equipment was functioning properly, so the woman's gas must be the likely cause.