In a shocking and highly unusual medical case, surgeons in Hapur, India, have successfully removed 29 steel spoons, 19 toothbrushes, and two pens from the stomach of a man, highlighting the severity of his condition.
According to the Times of India, the patient, from Bulandshahr, had been admitted to a de-addiction centre in Ghaziabad about a month ago. He was rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe abdominal pain.
An ultrasound scan revealed multiple metallic objects in his stomach, prompting an emergency surgery led by Dr. Shyam Kumar. “The surgery was as complex as it was rare,” the report said. “Each item had to be removed carefully to avoid damaging vital organs.” Dr. Kumar described the moment as “shocking” due to the sheer number of objects but confirmed that the operation was successful.
The patient has since been discharged and is recovering. He reportedly told doctors that he had felt mistreated and deprived of food at the rehabilitation centre, which led him to swallow objects in an act of self-harm.
This case is not unprecedented. In 2022, surgeons in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, removed 63 spoons from the stomach of a man admitted to a de-addiction centre. Similarly, in 2019, a team in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi retrieved spoons, toothbrushes, screwdrivers, a kitchen knife, and a door latch from a patient suffering from a serious mental disorder.
