Doctors remove over 50 toothbrushes from man’s stomach in B’luru

Team Udayavani, Nov 23, 2024, 10:27 AM IST

In a rare and shocking medical case, doctors at the Super Speciality Hospital under Bangalore Medical College successfully removed 40-50 toothbrushes from a 26-year-old man’s stomach, leaving even seasoned professionals momentarily stunned.

The patient, identified as Manikanta, was admitted to the hospital four days ago, complaining of severe abdominal pain. During diagnostic tests, an MRI scan revealed a cluster of toothbrushes inside his stomach, prompting immediate surgical intervention.

Manikanta, a chronic alcoholic, had been admitted to a de-addiction center a month ago by his family. Following this, he began experiencing recurring abdominal pain, which escalated over time. The staff at the center informed his family, leading them to seek treatment at the hospital.

According to hospital sources, Manikanta had reportedly been stealing toothbrushes from other inmates at the de-addiction center, breaking them into smaller pieces, and swallowing them. He also swallowed chocolate wrappers along with the toothbrushes.

Despite consuming such unusual items, he exhibited no immediate signs of complications such as throat pain or other symptoms, until his abdominal pain became severe in the past few days.

Surgeons, who had scheduled the operation after confirming the foreign objects through imaging, were astonished when they began removing the items. Alongside the toothbrushes, they found 3-4 chocolate wrappers. Some toothbrushes appeared old, while others were relatively new, suggesting that Manikanta had been swallowing them over a prolonged period.

Doctors speculate that a combination of alcohol withdrawal and depression may have driven Manikanta to ingest these objects.

The surgery was deemed a success, and Manikanta is currently recovering under medical supervision. Medical professionals are closely monitoring his condition and are counseling him and his family to address the underlying psychological issues that led to this behavior.