Japanese Hospital Inquiry Finds That Lasers and Farts Don’t Mix
A Japanese hospital conducted a formal review of an incident where a patient caught fire after passing gas in surgery
Medical professionals take note: Lasers and farts don’t mix well, according to a formal hospital report released last week in Japan.
On April 15, a fire broke out in the Tokyo Medical University Hospital’s Shinjuku Ward, burning a patient as she was undergoing laser surgery on the lower part of her body. According to an independent committee of experts, the laser likely caught fire when the patient passed gas.
The committee released the report to the hospital on October 28, according to the Asahi Shimbun. The report found that all equipment in the operating room was functioning normally, and there were no other flammable materials in the room.
Medical professionals take note: Lasers and farts don’t mix well, according to a formal hospital report released last week in Japan.
On April 15, a fire broke out in the Tokyo Medical University Hospital’s Shinjuku Ward, burning a patient as she was undergoing laser surgery on the lower part of her body. According to an independent committee of experts, the laser likely caught fire when the patient passed gas.
The committee released the report to the hospital on October 28, according to the Asahi Shimbun. The report found that all equipment in the operating room was functioning normally, and there were no other flammable materials in the room.
“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.
This seems to be the first case of a fart-induced laser fire in an operating theater. The report did not appear to offer any recommendations to keep it from happening again.
Photo Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images
Robbie Gramer is a diplomacy and national security reporter at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @RobbieGramer
More from Foreign Policy

Lessons for the Next War
Twelve experts weigh in on how to prevent, deter, and—if necessary—fight the next conflict.

It’s High Time to Prepare for Russia’s Collapse
Not planning for the possibility of disintegration betrays a dangerous lack of imagination.

Turkey Is Sending Cold War-Era Cluster Bombs to Ukraine
The artillery-fired cluster munitions could be lethal to Russian troops—and Ukrainian civilians.

Congrats, You’re a Member of Congress. Now Listen Up.
Some brief foreign-policy advice for the newest members of the U.S. legislature.