Thermometer removed from man’s stomach after 20 years in China

BEIJING: Doctors in China removed a mercury thermometer from a 32-year-old man’s stomach, nearly 20 years after he accidentally swallowed it as a child. According, to media reports.

The man, identified as Wang from Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, was admitted to a hospital after complaining of severe abdominal pain. An X-ray revealed a long, sharp object lodged in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine.

Doctors confirmed that the object was a mercury thermometer, with its tip pressing against the intestinal wall, posing a risk of perforation and internal bleeding.

Swallowed at age 12

During inquiry, Wang told doctors that he had accidentally swallowed the thermometer when he was 12 years old. Afraid of being scolded by his parents, he did not inform anyone at the time.

As he did not experience discomfort for years, he eventually forgot about the incident, doctors said.

Surgery completed in 20 minutes

Considering the risk, doctors decided to remove the object through surgery. The procedure was carried out carefully as the thermometer was located close to the bile ducts.

The medical team successfully removed the thermometer in about 20 minutes. It remained intact even after two decades, though the markings had faded.

Doctors said the situation could have turned life-threatening if the thermometer had broken and released mercury inside the body.

Medical experts noted that cases of swallowed foreign objects are not uncommon, with reports indicating that nearly one million such cases are treated annually in China. They advised that anyone who swallows a foreign object should seek immediate medical attention.

In a similar case reported earlier, a toothbrush swallowed by a man at the age of 12 was removed after more than five decades.