Tommy Beams, Washington State,latest burn victim of surgical fire
It was just a few days after a similar horrible surgical fire in Florida, that a man undergoing routine surgery in a Grays Harbor Community Hospital, Washington state, had a fire erupt on his face -- while he was unconscious and under anesthesia. Tommy Beams (pictured above)was burned on his face and head.
Beam was undergoing a one-hour procedure to remove a bump on his head when he said his oxygen mask caught fire. He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center after the accident last Thursday.
"The physical pain is tremendous," Beam told the Baltimore Sun. "My lips, my face ... on fire."
It was the cauterizing tool used in the surgery that he believes caused a spark and ignited the oxygen in his oxygen mask. Doctors told Beams that it could take more than a year for his burns to heal.
"It's just surreal, to see skin melted off your face, and look in the mirror and see chunks of skin hanging from your face. It's not a pretty sight," he said. "I don't even really know how to describe the feeling of being burned, other than it hurts. It brings me to tears on a daily basis."
CLICK & READ: "Surgical Fires: Information for Patients"
CLICK & READ: "Woman's face catches on fire: Surgical fires are under-reported"
by Sharon McEachern
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