Doctors at the Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital who operated upon a patient who complained of abdominal pain recovered 111 nails from his stomach.
The 49-year-old man from Methala has been suffering from acute stomach pain for many years.
Painkillers
Though his relatives took him to many doctors, they just prescribed painkillers.
As the painkillers failed to reduce his pain, he was brought to the Thrissur hospital.
The doctors were shocked to see his scanning report. They found many nails in various parts of the intestine. Some nails have even pierced through internal organs.
It was then the relatives told the doctors that the man, who is not mentally sound, has a habit of swallowing nails.
The nails he had swallowed in the last 10 years were taken out in a five-hour surgery. A medical team led by S. Sreekumar and P.V. Santhosh removed the nails. A 60-cm-long portion of small intestine had to be removed. The patient is recovering after surgery.