A surgery patient was seriously burnt when her fart was ignited by a laser.
A report into the incident ruled a leak of the woman’s intestinal gas while undergoing an operation on her cervix was responsible for the incident.
Combined with the surgical laser it sparked a fire which seriously burnt her legs and waist, reports Asahi Shimbun.
The incident occurred on 15 April of this year at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Shinjuku Ward but a committee has only just concluded its investigation.
It found there were no flammable materials in the operating theatre and all equipment was functioning normally at the time.
The report concluded: “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 woman is thought to have survived but her condition is not known.