Living eel measuring 30 cm pulled out from Vietnamese man's belly, doctors perplexed

An X-ray and ultrasound had unveiled a foreign entity within his abdomen, alongside signs of intestinal perforation and peritonitis

In a perplexing turn of events, Vietnamese medical professionals recently intervened to save the life of a young man whose abdomen harbored a live 30-cm-long eel, causing intestinal perforations, reported Vietnamese publication Nguoi Dua Tin.

On March 20, a 34-year-old man sought treatment at the Hai Ha District Medical Center in Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam, struggling with severe abdominal discomfort.

Succumbing to agony, the patient couldn't articulate his symptoms, prompting hospital staff to resort to diagnostic tools. An X-ray and ultrasound unveiled a foreign entity within his abdomen, alongside signs of intestinal perforation and peritonitis.

Recognizing the urgency, doctors swiftly opted for surgery to extricate the mysterious object and mitigate intestinal damage. Upon exploration, the medical team encountered an unexpected sight — a live 30 cm eel nestled within the patient's abdomen, Nguoi Dua Tin said in its report.

CKI. Pham Manh Hung, Head of the Department of Surgery at Hai Ha District Medical Center, said to Health & Life newspaper, "This is a rare case. The rectal area has a lot of fecal fluid and is easily infected with bacteria, but it was performed safely so the surgery did not have any problems."

Following the eel's removal, surgeons excised a necrotic portion of the rectum and created artificial opening. Post-surgery, the patient remained under observation at the medical facility.

Fortunately, the operation yielded success, stabilizing the patient, who only reported mild discomfort.

Inquiries into the eel's presence within the patient's abdomen left medical professionals puzzled.

Despite the lack of a coherent explanation from the 34-year-old, doctors speculate that the slippery creature navigated from the anus to the colon, subsequently breaching the intestine and entering the abdomen. However, what truly astounded the hospital staff was the eel's continued survival within the confines of the man's body.