Daijiworld Media Network – Beijing

Beijing, Jun 24: In an astonishing case that has left the medical community stunned, a 64-year-old man in China has lived for over five decades with a toothbrush lodged inside his intestine, an incident dating back to his childhood.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the man, identified as Mr Yang, was just 12 years old when he accidentally swallowed a toothbrush. Out of fear and embarrassment, he never informed his parents or sought medical help. Believing that the brush would dissolve naturally over time, he carried on with life — symptom-free — for more than 50 years.

However, recent stomach discomfort led Mr Yang to seek medical attention. During a routine gastrointestinal examination, doctors were shocked to discover a 17-centimetre-long toothbrush lodged in a crook of his small intestine.

A team of specialists at a hospital in China then performed a delicate endoscopic surgery, lasting 80 minutes, to retrieve the foreign object. The doctors stated it was the longest retained item they had ever removed from a patient's digestive system in recent years.

Medical experts noted that such sharp or rigid objects could have caused intestinal perforation or even life-threatening complications, had they moved or punctured the inner tissues. But in Mr Yang's case, the toothbrush had remained lodged in one spot and miraculously did no damage.

The story has gone viral on Chinese social media, with users expressing disbelief and amusement. One commenter remarked, "How lucky is he to survive with a toothbrush inside him for five decades?" Another humorously said, "If he had told his parents at that age, he might have received a beating worse than the brush."

Interestingly, this isn’t the first such bizarre case in the country. In 2019, a 51-year-old man surnamed Li from Guangdong province had a 14-centimetre toothbrush removed from his duodenum. Li later confessed he had swallowed the brush during a suicide attempt after being diagnosed with HIV.

Medical authorities continue to advise that foreign objects, especially sharp ones, swallowed accidentally or otherwise, must be reported and treated immediately to avoid potentially fatal consequences.

Mr Yang’s case, though rare and extraordinary, serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human body — and perhaps, of the unpredictable nature of childhood mischief left unspoken.