Doctors in China have been forced to remove a steel spoon which became stuck in a man's oesophagus for a year after he swallowed it on a dare.
The man - known only as Mr Zhang - ate the 20cm-long spoon in 2017, and it immediately got stuck in the small tube between his mouth and stomach.
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He didn't go to hospital despite the irritation until last week, when he began suffering from chest pains and had difficulty breathing after being punched in the chest.
A doctor at the Xinjiang Meikuang General Hospital said Mr Zhang appeared to be in a lot of pain, and an examination showed the mucus-covered spoon trapped "in the upper part of the pharynx to the oesophagus".
"I was very surprised. I have never encountered a similar patient," Dr Yu Xiwu said.
After realising the spoon could be a threat to Mr Zhang's life, it was removed through his mouth using a pair of forceps during a two-hour operation.
The hospital published a public safety warning from Dr Xiwu afterwards, warning people not to swallow foreign objects.
"Don't be impulsive and do things that hurt you," the statement read.
"Because foreign bodies enter the oesophagus or stomach, they can be life-threatening at any time."
Newshub.
