The intestines may be punctured, leading to potential infection at any moment, with unimaginable consequences. Therefore, for any reason, remember to avoid forcefully inserting foreign objects into the anus. Recently, the Emergency Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Medical University received an urgent case: a large yellow eel, about 30 centimeters long, actually burrowed into the body of a 30-year-old man through his anus. Medical staff made great efforts to pull the man back from the brink of death.
According to the 'Huaihua Daily', the man rushed to the hospital for help that day. He looked deathly pale, was sweating heavily, and clutching his stomach, groaning in pain. Medical staff immediately conducted examinations, and an abdominal CT scan revealed that the eel had pierced through the intestines (with perforation of the sigmoid colon)! The man had a symptom called 'board-like abdomen', meaning his whole abdomen was hard as a board, a sign of fatal diffuse peritonitis, and he was at any moment at risk of septic shock.
● Recent Full Meal Poses Anesthesia Risk of Vomiting
Although the doctors knew surgery was urgently needed, the man had eaten a large bowl of noodles just over an hour ago; general anesthesia with intubation could easily trigger vomiting and lead to death from asphyxiation.
Doctors from various specialties immediately discussed what to do. The gastroenterologist opposed removing it with a colonoscope because the intestine had been pierced, and inflating gas could 'flood' the abdominal cavity, putting the patient’s life in danger. Finally, the surgery team decided to proceed, using a minimally invasive laparoscopic exploration.
● Severe Abdominal Cavity Contamination
During the operation, doctors found that the eel had completely squeezed out of the tear in the intestinal wall and was 'swimming' inside the abdominal cavity. The abdominal cavity was severely contaminated—if there were any mistakes, the resulting infection could have had disastrous consequences!
Ultimately, the doctors used instruments to clamp and remove the eel intact, then sutured the hole in the sigmoid colon, and rinsed the abdominal cavity with saline solution. After treatment by the medical staff, the man recovered well and was discharged from the hospital.