Patient Burned By Mid-Surgery Explosion When Laser Ignites Fart

A woman was seriously burned during a gynecological surgical procedure in April when she passed gas, which when combined with the surgical laser, started a fire.

The incident occurred at the Tokyo Medical University, reports the Straits Times, and was originally reported in the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.

“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 official report explains, reports the Star-Telegram.

The fire burned much of the unnamed 30-year-old’s body, including her waist and legs, the report said, concluding that no flammable materials were in the operation room during the surgery, and the operation equipment was functioning normally.