A team of doctors remove 639 nails from stomach of a man in Kolkata

In an unusual case, a team of doctors of Calcutta Medical College successfully removed 639 nails from the stomach of a 48 year old on Monday. The condition of this mentally challenged man is reported stable.

The man was admitted a week ago with acute stomach ache. "He was suffering from severe stomach ache. He had also stopped taking food since mid October" stated the daughter of the man.

The man hails from Gobardanga in North 24 Pargana district of West Bengal. "Endoscopy had revealed the presence of foreign particles in his stomach. His albumin level was low. We had to stabilize him before the surgery" stated Dr. Siddhartha Biswas, Surgeon leading the team.

When the team started operating they saw that his stomach was so enlarged that it had reached his lower abdomen. "We made a small incision and with the help of magnets pulled out 639 nails weighing more than a kg. The person is stable now. However he will take time to recoup" stated Dr. Biswas.

It took more than one and a half hours for the surgery. The patient could be suffering from Pica (an eating disorder where persons crave for non food items.) He is undergoing psychiatric treatment. He had eaten the nails with mud.

"He has mental problems and is undergoing treatment. In the past we have seen his consuming cigarette butts but not nails" added a relative.

In a similar case, in Taran Taran, Punjab, a 40 year old had been operated upon by a team of 5 doctors at the Corporate Hospital on August 23, 2016. The person was an employee of the Punjab Police. Around 40 knives were taken out.

Singh too was mentally unstable. He had claimed that he had an urge to eat knives and had consumed the 40 odd knives in two months.

OneIndia News