A patient's fart reportedly sparked a fire during a surgical procedure at Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Shinjuku Ward, causing the patient to suffer serious burn injuries.
The incident took place on April 15 when the patient, who is in her 30s, was undergoing a laser operation in cervix, the lower part of the uterus, Asahi Shimbun reported.
The newspaper report said the laser is believed to have been ignited by the gas she passed. Most parts of the patient's body was burnt including her waist and legs.
"When the patient's intestinal gas leaked into the space of the operation (room), it ignited with the irradiation of the laser, and the burning spread, eventually reaching the surgical drape and causing the fire," the report said.
The case was examined by a committee of external experts. The experts released a report on Oct 28 claiming that no flammable materials were in the operation theatre while the surgery was going on. The report also mentioned that the operation equipment was functioning normally.
