Dr Vivek Gundappa

03/07/2025

🌶️ The Pepper That Landed in the Right Spot — Just Not the Right Way! 🌶️
Because even a small spice can take a wrong turn…

A 60-year-old gentleman presented with a 2-day history of persistent dry cough and focal wheeze.
He casually mentioned choking while eating spicy food, but thought he’d “coughed it out.”

🩻 Chest X-ray? Normal.
🧠 CT Thorax? Normal again.
But the localized wheeze and subtle findings urged us to take a closer look.

We proceeded with bronchoscopy, and nestled comfortably in the right intermediate bronchus, was the unsuspected culprit:
A whole black pepper seed! 🌶️

A careful extraction later, the wheeze resolved on table — and the patient left smiling.

🧠 Clinical pearl:
Foreign body aspiration isn't just a pediatric problem. In adults — especially the elderly — aspiration events can be subtle, and imaging may be deceptive.
Bronchoscopy remains the gold standard when symptoms and story don’t align.

The patient joked: “That pepper almost made it to my lung curry!”
We laughed — because truly, no airway is ever boring in IP!

27/06/2025

🦷 “Tooth Be Told… This Was a First!” 🦷

As Interventional Pulmonologists, we get used to surprises—each airway tells a story, and every foreign body has a tale of its own. But this case truly bit differently! 😄

A young male patient, following a road traffic accident, was recovering in the ICU when imaging picked up a suspicious opaque object in the right main bronchus. Clinical suspicion? Aspiration.
But the bronchoscope revealed something that made us pause, smile, and then carefully extract — a tooth! 💡

Yes, the patient had lost a tooth during the trauma, and it had silently found its way down the tracheobronchial tree. Fortunately, we managed to retrieve it smoothly.

🔍 Lesson learned: In trauma, expect the unexpected—lungs can sometimes chew up surprises!
💪 Gratitude to the amazing team for making this unusual retrieval safe and successful.

Moments like these remind us that medicine is not just science—it’s also full of stories, serendipity, and smiles 😊

27/06/2025

🦷 “Tooth Be Told… This Was a First!” 🦷

As Interventional Pulmonologists, we get used to surprises—each airway tells a story, and every foreign body has a tale of its own. But this case truly bit differently! 😄

A young male patient, following a road traffic accident, was recovering in the ICU when imaging picked up a suspicious opaque object in the right main bronchus. Clinical suspicion? Aspiration.
But the bronchoscope revealed something that made us pause, smile, and then carefully extract — a tooth! 💡

Yes, the patient had lost a tooth during the trauma, and it had silently found its way down the tracheobronchial tree. Fortunately, we managed to retrieve it smoothly.

🔍 Lesson learned: In trauma, expect the unexpected—lungs can sometimes chew up surprises!
💪 Gratitude to the amazing team for making this unusual retrieval safe and successful.

Moments like these remind us that medicine is not just science—it’s also full of stories, serendipity, and smiles 😊



Smita Naregal Anil Abhishek Thomas

09/02/2025

Bronchoscopic removal of blood clots in the central airway presents challenges and various methodologies. Flexible bronchoscopy, conducted at the bedside, is a primary approach involving suction, lavage, and flexible forceps for clot extraction. However, this method carries risks of bleeding and airway trauma, sometimes hindered by the delicate nature of blood clots. In contrast, rigid bronchoscopy necessitates general anesthesia and may pose challenges in bedside applications.

The utilization of balloon catheters and topical thrombolytic agents in clot removal procedures carries risks of bronchial injury, mucosa damage, and rebleeding. Cryoextraction offers an alternative, enabling the removal of large casts with the potential for bedside application. While cryoextraction has shown efficacy in rapidly removing stubborn clots where other methods have failed, there have been isolated cases of post-procedural bleeding reported.

Current literature emphasizes the efficiency of flexible cryoprobes in expeditiously removing blood clots that resist other techniques, positioning cryoextraction as a viable alternative. Despite its success, cryoextraction is currently considered a secondary option in the realm of clot removal procedures.

15/08/2024

Celebrate the spirit of freedom with a breath of fresh air! This Independence Day, let's commit to taking care of our lungs and ensuring they breathe freely

For appointments and expert lung care visit Usiru Speciality Care or call 080509 88688



Visit our clinic today and let us help you breathe better. Your health is our priority.

09/08/2024

Shortness of Breath: Difficulty breathing, especially during physical activity, is a common symptom of COPD.
Chronic Cough: A persistent cough that often produces mucus, sometimes referred to as "smoker's cough."
Frequent Respiratory Infections: People with COPD are more prone to colds, flu, and other respiratory infections.
Wheezing: A whistling or squeaky sound when breathing, often caused by airflow obstruction.
Fatigue: Constant tiredness or lack of energy due to the effort it takes to breathe and the body's reduced oxygen levels.

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09/08/2024

Vaccination plays a crucial role in protecting lung health by preventing respiratory infections like influenza, pneumonia, and whooping cough, which can severely affect the lungs. Vaccines help the immune system recognize and fight off these infections, reducing the risk of severe lung complications, especially in vulnerable populations such as the elderly, young children, and those with chronic lung conditions like asthma or COPD.

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17/07/2024

07/05/2024

On the occasion of world Asthma Day, Watch Doctor Vivek, Consultant Pulmonologist explains whether people with Asthma can exercise or not.

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22/04/2024

"The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth." - Marlee Matlin

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11/04/2024