Stunned doctors removed a 30cm-long live eel from a man’s belly after he complained of a tummy ache.
The 34-year-old was admitted to hospital with severe abdominal cramps on Wednesday (20 Mar).
He was given an X-ray and an ultrasound, which showed that he had a foreign body in his abdomen.
It had caused him intestinal perforation and peritonitis — when the inside wall of the abdomen becomes swollen and very painful.
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The patient was given surgery to remove the mystery object.
When the surgeons opened up his abdomen, they were stunned to see that it was a live eel as long as a standard ruler.
The surgeons proceeded to carefully remove the necrotic colorectal segment of the man’s intestines.
The delicate op in Hải Hà district, Vietnam, went without a hitch and the man was stabilised.
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He was kept in hospital under observation with only mild abdominal discomfort.
When quizzed about how the eel could have ended up in his belly, the patient obfuscated.
But medics believe it entered his anus, slid up his colon, bit through his intestine, and entered his abdomen.
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What stunned them most was that the eel was still alive when they removed it.
Dr Pham Manh Hung told local media: “This is a rare case, the rectum is a site with abundant faecal matter and prone to infection.
“However, the surgery was performed safely.”
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