After experiencing severe abdominal cramps, the 34-year-old man was admitted to a hospital where doctors made the horrifying discovery of a live eel in his stomach. It's still not entirely clear how the eel made it into the man's body, but doctors believe the creature entered through the anus, into the colon, bit through the intestine, and eventually made its way into the stomach.
From Oddity Central:
On March 20, a 34-year-old man was admitted to the Hai Ha District Medical Center in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, with severe abdominal cramps. Since the patient was in too much pain to be questioned about his symptoms, the hospital staff conducted an X-ray and an ultrasound which revealed a foreign body in his abdomen, as well as intestinal perforation and peritonitis. Doctors decided that the best course of action was to conduct surgery, remove the suspicious object, and try to mitigate the damage to the man’s intestines. Upon opening up the patient’s abdomen, doctors were surprised to find that the foreign object was a 30 cm live eel.
After removing the eel, doctors proceeded to remove the necrotic colorectal segment of the intestines, a delicate procedure with a high potential for infection due to the proximity to the rectal area. Luckily, the operation was a success and the patient was stabilized. He reported only mild abdominal discomfort after the procedure, but he is still under observation at the hospital.
Asked how the large eel could have wound up in his abdomen, the 34-year-old man could not provide a clear answer, but doctors believe that the slippery animal crawled from the anus to the patient’s colon, bit through the intestine, and entered the abdomen. But what truly shocked the hospital staff was that the eel was still alive inside the man’s body.
