Officials say a dental drill came lose and fell into a woman’s lung during a dental procedure in Västerås in Sweden.
The Independent reported the 60-year-old patient was undergoing dental implant surgery at Västmanland County Hospital when the drill head came lose and fell into her mouth.
The report stated that she was pulled into a sitting position but by that time it was too late.
Medical officials say a three-centimeter long drill head was lodged in her right lung after examining x-rays.
“She tried to spit it out, and was made to cough, but she’d already swallowed,” said Per Weitz, the hospital’s medical chief.
The hospital reportedly had the drill head surgically removed and the patient recovered within a month.
Hospital officials say they have taken measures to ensure that incidences like this do not happen again.
“Unfortunately, drills are going to be dropped every now and then,” Weitz said.
Read more: The Independent.
