Removing a 12cm long foreign body stuck deeply in a patient’s rectum

08/05/2023 08:51

A foreign body of 7cm in diameter and 12cm in length just be removed from the rectum of a 32-year-old man by the doctors of Viet Duc University Hospital.

Dr Pham Hieu Tam, MD, Department of Digestive Surgery, Viet Duc University Hospital, said it was a 32-year-old male patient with a history of using meth (Methamphetamine) many times. Because the patient himself inserted a foreign body, it was a toothbrush cup into his anus after using meth, he did not remove that by himself, then was transferred to Ha Nam Provincial General Hospital, and soon after to Viet Duc University Hospital.

 The patient was hospitalized in a conscious state; pulse, blood pressure is stable; No fever, no vomiting, abdominal distension. X-ray film detected foreign body deep in the patient’s rectum. Since the foreign body was 7cm in diameter and 12cm in length that was stuck deeply in the rectum and strictly stuck in the pelvis, it was not able to be removed through the anus, so the doctors decided to perform open surgery and to open the rectum for removing it, with colostomy on the sigmoid colon

Three hours of post-surgery, the patient was awake, the vital signs were stable, soft abdomen, and transferred to the patient ward for monitoring. One day later, he was able to eat and drink, the colostomy starts working, and the patient was transferred back to the provincial hospital for further treatment.

 Dr. Tam also recommends everyone that should not arbitrarily insert any objects into the anus to try strange sensations because it can lead to infection, bleeding, even perforation of the rectum, which is very dangerous. When a similar incident occurs, patients should not arbitrarily remove it themselves, causing the foreign body to move deep into the rectum causing great damage inside the intestinal lumen. Patients need to quickly go to medical facilities for timely treatment and management.