A man in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, was shocked after a screening revealed that a lighter he swallowed in his youth had remained trapped in his body.
For over 30 years, the object caused him no significant discomfort until a month ago.
Mr Deng (name transliterated) sought medical attention after experiencing continuous abdominal pain and swelling.
A gastroscopy at the hospital would then reveal the black, rectangular object still stuck in his system.
The man recalled swallowing the lighter in 1991 or 1992 during a night out with friends.
“We were drinking, and I made a bet with a friend — if he dared to swallow the lighter, so would I. I swallowed it in one gulp,” he explained.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
At the time, he did not take it seriously, thinking the lighter would pass naturally through his digestive system.
However, it remained in his body for decades without causing him any noticeable issues.
Doctors were initially baffled by the case and struggled to remove the foreign object.
As the lighter was very smooth, it was difficult to grip with forceps.
After a few unsuccessful attempts, the medical team had to get creative.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
Using an endoscope, they inserted a condom into his stomach.
Doctors then carefully maneuvered the lighter into the condom before using the forceps to pull it out through Mr Deng’s mouth.
The entire process took around 20 minutes, reports HK01.
Surprisingly, the lighter was found to be structurally intact despite being inside the stomach for 30 years.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
It measured about 7cm in length and was covered with black residue, likely from long-term exposure to stomach acids.
Even more astonishingly, there was residual fluid still inside the mechanism of the lighter.
Doctors emphasised that the lighter could have been life-threatening had the fluid inside reacted with stomach acids.
They warned that such objects should always be removed immediately to avoid serious complications such as perforation.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
Reflecting on his youthful folly, Mr Deng marvelled at how he had lived with the lighter for so long.
“The lighter never came out!” he said, still astonished by the incident.
“I thought it would just pass naturally.”
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Featured image adapted from Sing Tao Daily.