Welcome to our top 10 everyday roundup of the most astonishing objects that have found their way into human bodies – and the incredible medical feats required to get them out. From innocent‑looking kitchen tools to mischievous toys, doctors have seen it all, and we’ve gathered the strangest cases for your reading pleasure.
10 Toothpick
Recently, a 70‑year‑old Australian woman kept returning to her local hospital with relentless stomach pain. After her fourth visit in April 2017, surgeons finally decided to explore the cause.
During the operation they discovered a severely inflamed segment of her colon. When they excised the damaged tissue, a tiny wooden toothpick was found embedded within. Post‑surgery, the patient recovered fully and is now back to her normal routine.
Doctors rarely link abdominal discomfort to toothpicks, yet more than half of such cases go unnoticed because patients don’t realise they’ve swallowed a sharp splinter. Party platters laden with toothpicks and alcohol often set the stage for this hidden hazard. So, the next time you’re at a gathering, think twice before reaching for that cheese‑skewered bite.
9 Sauce Sachet
For six years, a 41‑year‑old woman believed she suffered from Crohn’s disease. In reality, a plastic Heinz sauce sachet was the true culprit behind her crippling abdominal pain and bloating.
When conventional treatments failed, doctors performed a keyhole surgery. They uncovered an inflamed mass piercing her small intestine, which turned out to be two fragments of the sauce sachet. Once removed, her symptoms vanished instantly, though she maintains she never used the sachet on the day her troubles began.
Medical experts concluded this was the first recorded instance of a plastic sachet masquerading as Crohn’s disease. The case reminds us that appearances can be deceptive – even inside our guts.
8 Ballpoint Pen(s)
A Chinese man, on a drunken dare, swallowed two ballpoint pens. Astonishingly, the 11.9‑centimetre (4.7‑inch) pens remained lodged in his stomach for 36 years without causing any noticeable discomfort.
In May 2017, surgeons at a Kunshan hospital finally removed the pens. The operation was successful, and the patient walked away unharmed. Some joke that he might have been the world’s first human Etch A Sketch.
This extraordinary case highlights how even seemingly inert objects can survive untouched inside the gastrointestinal tract for decades.
7 Glass
In another Chinese incident, a man took a “body shot” too literally, ending up with a glass tumbler lodged in his rectum for two days in late 2017. He attempted a DIY removal with various tools, only to shatter the glass into fragments due to severe swelling.
Doctors were unable to extract the shards manually, so they scheduled an emergency abdominal surgery. The operation successfully retrieved the broken glass, and the patient made a full recovery without any lasting injury.
The origin of the glass remains a mystery, but the case underscores the dangers of risky party stunts and the importance of prompt medical attention.
6 Laxative Pill Bottle
In 2014, a 60‑year‑old Chinese man, frustrated by chronic constipation, forced an entire laxative‑pill bottle into his rectum, hoping the stimulant would jump‑start his bowels.
The desperate maneuver backfired. The bottle became fully lodged, prompting a hospital visit. Surgeons removed it without causing tissue damage, and the X‑ray images of the episode quickly went viral after being shared among medical staff.
The hospital later released the X‑ray publicly once the patient’s records were anonymized, turning an embarrassing moment into a cautionary tale about extreme constipation remedies.
5 Mushrooms
Early in 2017, a 50‑year‑old woman experienced severe stomach pain after swallowing a handful of uncooked mushrooms whole. Unbeknownst to her, the fungi began to sprout inside her dark, damp stomach environment.
Doctors discovered mushroom stems up to 7 centimetres (2.8 inches) long lodged in her stomach. The growth caused intense discomfort, leading her to seek surgical removal.
The operation was successful, and she recovered fully. This case illustrates how even edible fungi can become a surprising internal hazard when not properly chewed.
4 Cockroach
In early 2017, a 42‑year‑old Indian woman awoke with a tingling sensation in her right nostril, assuming it was a cold. The feeling persisted, prompting her to seek medical help after a sleepless night.
After visiting three hospitals, doctors finally performed a CT scan that revealed a “mobile foreign body.” An endoscopic examination located a live cockroach lodged at the base of her skull, nestled between her eyes and perilously close to her brain.
Using delicate forceps and suction, surgeons removed the insect after a tense 12‑hour procedure. Remarkably, the roach was still alive, sparing her from a potentially fatal infection.
3 Kinder Surprise Eggs
Damian O’Reilly, a 20‑year‑old drug smuggler, devised a risky plan: hide eight Kinder Surprise eggs packed with marijuana, matches, tobacco, and rolling papers inside his rectum, hoping to get sentenced and smuggle contraband into prison.
He deliberately crashed his car into a police cruiser to guarantee arrest. While in custody, guards noticed his suspicious behavior and placed him in a “dry cell” to monitor any expulsion of the hidden items.
Unable to endure the discomfort, O’Reilly eventually expelled the eggs himself. He was later convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to two years, achieving his goal of incarceration but at a steep personal cost.
2 Money
In 2017, a 26‑year‑old Floridian father of a seven‑month‑old child attempted to conceal over $1,000 in drug money by stuffing it into his rectum during a routine traffic stop.
Officers detected a strong marijuana odor, searched the vehicle, and seized 197 grams of meth, rock cocaine, heroin, a scale, and a large cash bundle. When the suspect claimed the money was already surrendered, a strip search revealed the hidden stash lodged in his anus.
The discovery added another bizarre twist to an already high‑profile drug bust, highlighting the lengths some will go to evade law enforcement.
1 Toy
Paul Baxter, a postman from Croston, Lancashire, spent years believing he suffered from lung cancer after coughing up yellow fluid for over a year. Doctors had detected a mass in his lungs two decades earlier but missed the true cause.
In late 2017, a bronchoscopy revealed a tiny Playmobil traffic cone lodged deep within his lung tissue. The cone, a relic from a childhood set, had been inhaled and remained hidden for roughly 40 years.
Surgeons removed the plastic cone under local anaesthetic, and Baxter now proudly keeps it as a souvenir. He has fully recovered and lives a healthy life with his family, proving that sometimes a toy can be more dangerous than a tumor.
These ten astonishing cases remind us that everyday objects can become unexpected medical emergencies. Stay curious, stay safe, and always consider the hidden risks of the items you handle daily.