BEIJING: A 64-year-old man from Anhui province was shocked to learn that a toothbrush had been lodged in his small intestine since he accidentally swallowed it at age 12, the
South China Morning Post reported.
The man, surnamed Yang, said he never told his parents at the time and assumed the toothbrush would dissolve on its own.
Doctors discovered the 17-centimetre object during a recent examination and removed it through endoscopic surgery that lasted 80 minutes.
A hospital doctor warned that such items could cause internal injuries or be fatal, but Yang had been fortunate the toothbrush remained lodged and immobile.
The case sparked disbelief online, with users expressing both astonishment at his survival and sympathy for the fear that led him to stay silent for decades.
