WARNING: Graphic

THESE incredible pictures show doctors treating a man who had a motorcycle key stuck in his skull during a brawl.

The 19-year-old was rushed to hospital with the key wedged nearly two inches into his head and was under the knife for 3.5 hours.

A neurosurgeon who operated said the young man could have died if he had suffered internal bleeding.

“On April 18 at around 11am, in a brawl at his village, the teenager was assaulted by someone and a bike key got lodged deep into his skull,” Dr. Shailendra Uttamro Markad, who operated on the unidentified teen, said.

“He was brought to my outpatient department at around 3:30pm, and after seeing the scan report we started the surgery at around 6:30pm on the same day,” Markad said.

The man was treated at Anand Rishi Hospital and craniotomy surgery, where a bone flap is removed so the brain can be accessed, was performed to remove the key.

He was discharged three days after the incident and is said to be making a good recovery.

“The surgery lasted about three and a half hours, during which we opened part of his skull to remove the lodged key,” Markad said. “The victim has since recovered and is doing fine. He was discharged on April 21 evening, and is expected for a follow-up check this week.”

The fight happened in Ghodegaon village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India.