A 14-year-old boy in China was rushed to hospital after allegedly inserting a live eel into his rectum out of curiosity, leading to a medical emergency that doctors say could have turned fatal.
The shocking incident was recently reported by Shangqiu First People’s Hospital in Henan Province, where medical staff treated the teenager after he arrived suffering from severe abdominal pain. According to reports, the live eel remained trapped inside his body for approximately two hours before emergency medical help was sought.
Doctors revealed that the situation was extremely dangerous due to the eel’s natural behaviour. Unlike inanimate objects, a live eel is highly active and capable of moving aggressively within the human body, increasing the risk of serious internal injuries.
Medical experts warned that such incidents can lead to intestinal perforation, internal bleeding and life-threatening infections if not treated immediately. Fortunately, the hospital’s medical team successfully removed the eel intact through a carefully coordinated procedure conducted under sterile conditions.
The teenager escaped major complications, but doctors stressed that the outcome could easily have been far worse. Medical professionals have since urged the public not to engage in dangerous acts involving live animals or foreign objects, warning that curiosity can quickly result in permanent injury or death.
The case has once again highlighted a growing number of unusual hospital emergencies involving objects inserted into the body. In a separate incident reported in Shenzhen, a middle-aged man reportedly delayed seeking treatment after a sex toy became lodged inside his rectum.
Embarrassed by the situation, the man allegedly hoped the object would come out on its own and avoided medical attention for several days. However, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and scans later revealed that his intestine had been perforated.
Doctors were forced to perform emergency surgery to remove the object and save his life. Although the operation was successful, the patient subsequently required a temporary colostomy, commonly known as an artificial anus, and faced months of recovery before further corrective surgery could be considered.
Medical experts say these incidents serve as a stark reminder that delaying treatment out of embarrassment can have devastating consequences. They urged anyone experiencing a similar emergency to seek professional medical assistance immediately rather than attempting self-treatment.
