Doctors in Hapur, India, have carried out a rare surgery to remove 29 steel spoons, 19 toothbrushes, and two pens from the stomach of a man.
According to the Times of India, the patient from Bulandshahr was first admitted to a de-addiction centre in Ghaziabad but was later rushed to the hospital after complaining of severe stomach pain.
An ultrasound scan revealed several metallic objects inside his stomach, forcing doctors to perform an emergency surgery led by Dr. Shyam Kumar.
“The surgery was as complex as it was rare. An ultrasound scan revealed multiple metallic objects inside the man’s stomach, leaving doctors with no choice but to operate immediately. The team had to carefully remove the items one by one to prevent injury to vital organs,” the report said.
Related Stories:
- Deadly Street Drug ‘Suck-and-Die’ Spreads Among Nigerian Youths
- Lassa Fever Kills 166 People in Nine Months – NCDC
Dr. Kumar described the discovery as “shocking” because of the number of objects swallowed. Despite the risks, the operation was successful, and the patient has since been discharged.
The man later told doctors that he felt mistreated and deprived of food at the rehabilitation centre, which pushed him into frustration and self-harm.
“He said he had felt mistreated and deprived of food at the de-addiction centre, which left him angry and helpless. In his agitation, he began swallowing objects to harm himself, a desperate act of self-injury,” the report added.
This case is not the first of its kind in India. In 2022, doctors in Muzaffarnagar removed 63 spoons from the stomach of a man identified as Vijay, a drug addict who had been eating spoons for a year.
Similarly, in 2019, a hospital in Himachal Pradesh reported recovering spoons, screwdrivers, toothbrushes, a kitchen knife, and even a door latch from the stomach of a patient with a severe mental disorder.