Live 12-inch eel removed from Vietnamese man’s abdomen after it slid up his anus

The eel next to a ruler, main. And it being removed from the man's abdomen, inset.
The eel next to a ruler, main. And it being removed from the man's abdomen, inset.

A Vietnamese man had a live eel surgically removed from his abdomen — and doctors believe it slid up his anus.

The stomach-turning discovery was made when an unidentified man, 34, went to the Hai Ha District Medical Center in Quang Ninh Province with severe abdominal pain on Wednesday, according to a local report.

Doctors believe the sea creature entered the man’s body through his anus and slid through his colon, according to Oddity Central.

An unidentified man, 34, had a 12-inch eel removed after going to the Hai Ha District Medical Center in Quang Ninh Province with severe abdominal pain on Wednesday.
An unidentified man, 34, had a 12-inch eel removed after going to the Hai Ha District Medical Center in Quang Ninh Province with severe abdominal pain on Wednesday.
Doctors believe the sea creature entered the man’s body through his anus and slid through his colon. The eel caused intestinal perforation and peritonitis, a condition that causes inflammation in the stomach or abdomen.
Doctors believe the sea creature entered the man’s body through his anus and slid through his colon. The eel caused intestinal perforation and peritonitis, a condition that causes inflammation in the stomach or abdomen.

The eel was found after doctors performed an ultrasound and X-ray, which showed a foreign object was inside the man’s digestive tract.

“This is a rare case,” Head of Surgery, Pham Manh Hung, told the local outlet. “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.”

The eel caused intestinal perforation and peritonitis, a condition that causes inflammation in the stomach or abdomen, according to local reports.

The man was kept in the hospital after the surgery and reported having mild abdominal pain after waking up.