Doctors performed surgery to remove a thermometer a man swallowed 20 years ago—couldn’t believe what they found inside
Symptoms and pain should not be overlooked; they need to be checked, as they may hint at something more serious. A Chinese man, surnamed Wang, experienced sudden stomach pain recently and decided to visit the doctor. Unsure of the issue, he underwent tests and scans, only to discover the most baffling reality. What they found inside his stomach was a secret he had been hiding for 20 years. Reported by Dexerto on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the man revealed that he never thought a happening from two decades ago would suddenly affect his health, and the entire experience is one for the books.
Wang recently started experiencing stomach pain, and it started getting more and more unbearable. Unable to bear the discomfort, he rushed to the Wenzhou Medical University, but the doctors were shocked at what they discovered. Upon taking an X-ray, the scan showed a mercury thermometer. When Wang was 12 years old, he accidentally swallowed a thermometer. However, he was scared to share it with his parents at the time. He dreaded having to drag them to the clinic during their busy schedule, and ever since, had it inside him. Since he never experienced any side effects or discomfort for years, he thought he'd be fine. Turns out, the thermometer got trapped inside the duodenum of his small intestine, per South China Morning Post.
Reports indicated that the tip of the thermometer was lodged towards the intestinal wall, which could have caused severe damage to the intestinal lining. Fortunately, the surgeons were able to track it and remove it on time. Upon removal, the doctors were amazed to find that the thermometer had not broken in 20 years, and noted that had it broken, it would have led to unfortunate news. Although the readings had faded over time, the liquid compounds were still intact. The hospital's endoscopy center advises that if a foreign object has been swallowed, people should immediately stop consuming anything and seek medical intervention.
According to a research case published in PubMed, a 3-year-old boy from Libya had ingested about 750 gms of elemental mercury and was found asymptomatic. This was considered the highest single oral intake of elemental mercury by a child at the age of 3. The research found that the patient had no disease or abnormalities in the gastric function, concluding that the mercury exposure differs from person to person. According to the Cleveland Clinic, mercury poisoning can cause trouble breathing, nausea or vomiting, swollen or bleeding gums, coughing, and other symptoms. Usually, mercury poisoning is caused by consuming too much seafood.
Better late than never. The Chinese man's story reminds us of twenty-one-year-old Alex Lyons, who kept her bowel symptoms a secret because she was too embarrassed. However, after ignoring the symptoms for too long, she soon discovered the truth when a shocking diagnosis was made. The symptoms did not stop progressing, and she was eventually diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) the following year. She was given treatment, but she had to undergo emergency surgery. Following the surgery, she admitted that she shouldn't have kept her symptoms to herself and immediately sought medical help. From both Lyons and Wang's cases, it is highlighted how important immediate medical intervention can be to save lives.
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