Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Video Credit: AsiaWire
Doctors fished a set of false teeth out of a pensioner’s digestive tract and removed it via his mouth after his dentures “fell” into his stomach during a meal of buns and pancakes.
Mr Shang, 80, was treated at Jinan Central Hospital, in Shandong Province in East China, a few hours after the accident on the morning of 23rd November.
Scans showed the metallic object resting in Mr Shang’s stomach, and a subsequent endoscopy revealed it to be a row of three false teeth attached to a metal plate, with sharp hooks on either side.
Doctor Zhu Jingyu, the facility’s deputy head gastroenterologist, said: “We located the dentures with the gastroscope. They were already inside the patient’s stomach.
“His oesophagus and stomach both had abrasions.
“The challenge of removing the dentures was in how we could do it without causing further abrasions to his stomach and oesophagus.
“Especially his oesophagus, because of three sections which are particularly narrow.
“In the end, we tried several transparent caps and protective tubes, adjusted the angles, and finally removed the false teeth from his stomach.”
Mr Shang recalled: “I ate two buns, then I wanted to eat a pancake.
“While eating the pancake, I couldn’t find my dentures.
“I needed my teeth to eat the pancake, but I couldn’t find them.
“I thought: ‘Oh no. My teeth fell into my stomach.’”
The procedure reportedly took two hours, and the pensioner is expected to make a full recovery.
Mr Shang told local media he was “very grateful” to the hospital’s staff who postponed their lunch to help him sort out his breakfast accident.
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