Man’s severe pain caused by swallowed plastic fork in intestines

A man suffering from severe abdominal pain for three months, prompting his family to prepare for his funeral, was found to have a surprising cause for his ailment. An unusual discovery in his intestines revealed a plastic fork.

In Foshan, Guangdong Province, China, a middle-aged man named Guan sought medical treatment after enduring three months of relentless abdominal pain. A CT scan revealed a tear in his colon and swollen lymph nodes.

Doctors initially suspected a tumour in the area where the small intestine meets the colon. Guan’s family, fearing the worst, began making funeral arrangements, anticipating that part of his intestine would need to be surgically removed.

However, the situation took an unexpected turn after surgery. The problem was not as severe as initially thought.

Doctors questioned Guan about swallowing any foreign objects but he could not recall ingesting anything unusual. Consequently, Guan underwent an endoscopy, which revealed a long plastic object lodged in the area where the small intestine meets the colon.

The plastic fork had pierced the intestinal wall, causing localised inflammation and swelling. A biopsy of the swollen area confirmed chronic inflammation but ruled out the presence of a tumour.

Foreign object

Based on tumour marker levels and the pathological findings from the endoscopy, doctors concluded that the swelling was due to the foreign object pressing into the intestine rather than a tumour.

During the surgery, doctors observed that the foreign object had indeed penetrated the intestinal wall at the exact location of the inflammation identified during the endoscopy. Using a specialised trap, they carefully extracted the object, which turned out to be a plastic fork.

The fork’s prongs had penetrated approximately 1 centimetre into the intestinal wall. The surgical team successfully removed the foreign object, confirming that the plastic fork had caused the inflammation.

After the procedure, the medical staff presented the extracted object to Guan and his family. The 8-centimetre-long plastic fork left them all in shock.

When asked about the incident, Guan’s family recalled an episode a few months prior where he had swallowed the fork during a drinking bet. Guan swallowed the fork while intoxicated, which led to the subsequent medical ordeal. Doctors advised against impulsive actions while under the influence of alcohol.

It is crucial to avoid reckless behaviour when drinking, the attending physician emphasised, noting the potential for severe health consequences, reported Sanook.