Woman nearly loses one of her lungs after inhaling a crayfish leg

Woman nearly loses her right lung after accidentally inhaling ‘spiky’ two-inch leg of crayfish

The patient, from China’s Hubei province, suffered pain and breathing problems
Endoscopy revealed a 5-centimetre foreign body in the lower part of her lung
She was diagnosed with pulmonary aspiration and underwent urgent surgery

A hungry woman nearly lost one of her lungs after accidentally consuming the leg of a crayfish.

The fast-eater, identified only by her surname, Lin, complained of discomfort after dining-out on the delicacy in China’s Hubei province, this week.

Despite this, she failed to seek immediate medical attention as she hoped the pain would pass naturally.

However, the Yichang city resident was later hospitalised after increasing soreness led to breathing problems.

A scan revealed the rogue limb lodged in the lower part of her right lung, risking irreversible damage to her respiratory system.

Blockage: The 1.9-inch crawfish leg can be seen inside the woman’s airway

Food danger: The unidentified patient is examined by Dr Zeng Fanjun after her surgery

She was diagnosed with pulmonary aspiration, which is when food or liquids are breathed into the airway.

An endoscopy confirmed the 5-centimetre (1.9-inch) ‘spiky’ foreign body was the leg of a crayfish – one of Lin’s favourite foods.

It was swiftly removed from the lower bronchus during emergency surgery.

Spiky: The limb had naturally-serrated edges which could’ve destroyed the woman’s lung

Scan: Doctor Zeng Fanjun identifying the foreign object on an X-ray

Lin is now recovering from the operation, but her doctor, Zeng Fanjun, has revealed just how close she was to losing her lung.

‘Had the blockage been more severe and resulted in tissue granulation, the entire lung could have been obstructed and eventually collapsed,’ he said.

‘We would then have no choice but to remove it entirely.’