A 31-year-old Indian man in Vietnam has narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation after inserting a live 2-foot eel into his anus. The bizarre incident, reported by Vietnam News, led to severe internal injuries and required emergency surgery to save his life.
On July 27, the man was rushed to Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi with severe abdominal pain. Initial examinations revealed that he had introduced a live eel into his rectum earlier in the day. Diagnostic tests, including an ultrasound and X-ray, confirmed the presence of the eel’s skeleton within his abdominal cavity.
Doctors at the hospital assembled an emergency team of endoscopy experts and anesthesiologists. Their initial attempts to extract the eel through the anus were thwarted by a large lemon that had also been inserted. Consequently, the team proceeded with emergency abdominal surgery.
Upon opening the abdomen, the surgical team discovered the eel, which was approximately 65 cm long and 10 cm in circumference, alive and actively causing damage. The eel had chewed through the patient’s rectum and colon, making its way into the abdominal cavity.
Le Nhat Huy, vice director of the Department of Colorectal and Perineal Surgery, explained that the eel’s ability to survive in anaerobic conditions allowed it to inflict significant harm. The eel and the lemon were successfully removed, and the patient was carefully examined to ensure no additional foreign objects remained. He was then stitched up and is expected to recover.
Huy cautioned against such dangerous practices, emphasizing that live animals can cause severe internal injuries and pose serious health risks. “Eels can survive in anaerobic conditions for a long time and have the ability to bite through the gastrointestinal tract,” he warned.
This unusual case is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, doctors in Vietnam also removed an eel from a 43-year-old man’s abdomen, believed to have entered through the anus.
The incident highlights the critical importance of seeking safe and medically sound practices, and serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers of such extreme actions.
Sources By Agencies
