Drunkard spent 8 years with metal chopstick stuck in his throat
A man in China is recovering after surgeons removed a metal chopstick that had been lodged in his throat for eight years.
The patient, identified in reports as Mr. Wang, was eating dinner in 2018 when he accidentally swallowed a roughly five-inch chopstick while intoxicated. He initially went to a hospital for a check-up shortly after the incident, but chose not to undergo surgery at the time because he did not want his neck opened.
According to a hospital case report published in March, Wang lived with the object in place for years, despite ongoing discomfort. Over time, his condition worsened, and in recent weeks he began experiencing increasing pain and difficulty swallowing, prompting him to seek medical help again.
He went to Dalian Municipal Central Hospital in Liaoning Province, where doctors confirmed the chopstick was still lodged in his throat. Surgeons ultimately removed it using a minimally invasive procedure through his mouth, avoiding the need for an external neck incision.
Dr. Huang Weipeng, one of the surgeons involved, said he initially assumed the injury had just occurred when Wang described the situation. Wang clarified that the chopstick had been stuck for eight years.
Despite the long-term presence of the foreign object, doctors reported that his vocal cords and surrounding tissue were not seriously damaged. He was discharged a few days after the procedure and is expected to make a full recovery.
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