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A 31-year-old Indian national man faced a life-threatening medical emergency after he inserted a live eel into his anus. The incident, which occurred around noon, led to severe abdominal pain and required urgent intervention from medical professionals, so he was taken to the Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi. The eel, approximately 65 cm long and 10 cm in circumference, was discovered within the patient's abdominal cavity following a series of diagnostic tests and imaging.
Emergency Response and Surgery
The patient arrived at the hospital's emergency department with intense abdominal pain. Initial examinations, including imaging and ultrasound, revealed the presence of a radiopaque object in the abdominal cavity. The X-ray images indicated that a large foreign object was lying horizontally from left to right. Dr. Le Nhat Huy, deputy director of the Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Surgery Centre, explained that the hospital promptly assembled a team of endoscopy experts and anesthesiologists for a colonoscopy to attempt removal of the eel through the anus.
Complications and Surgical Procedures
The colonoscopy was unsuccessful in removing the eel, and the patient's condition deteriorated with increasing pain. This led to an urgent decision for open abdominal surgery. Upon opening the abdomen, the medical team found a live eel inside, which had caused significant damage by biting through the patient’s rectum and colon. Additionally, a lemon was also found within the rectum. The surgical team removed the eel and the lemon, and then addressed the damage by suturing the perforations in the rectum and colon.
Post-Surgery
Due to the contamination caused by fecal matter and the risk of infection, the doctors opted to perform a colostomy. This procedure was necessary to divert faecal matter away from the newly sutured areas and to prevent potential complications. The medical team emphasised that the eel's ability to survive in anaerobic conditions and its capacity to bite through the gastrointestinal tract made the situation particularly dangerous.
Warning and Prevention
Dr. Huy cautioned against the use of live animals or other objects inserted through the anus for seeking intense sensations. He highlighted that such practices can lead to severe and unpredictable health issues. Viet Duc Hospital had previously handled cases involving various foreign objects, such as glass cups and sex toys, but this incident was unprecedented due to the involvement of a live animal.
