Chinese man lived with spoon in body for months, mistaking it for a drunken dream

A 29-year-old Chinese man was shocked to learn that he had a 15cm-long coffee spoon lodged inside his body for nearly six months, following a boozy holiday in Thailand. As reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the man, identified only as Yan, had dismissed the incident as a dream until a recent medical check-up in Shanghai revealed the truth.

Doctors in China found a 15cm spoon in a man’s gut, months after he drunkenly swallowed it in Thailand.(Shutterstock)

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A strange sensation leads to a shocking find

In June, Yan visited Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai complaining of stomach discomfort and suspecting he might have swallowed plastic while eating takeaway. However, doctors conducting an endoscopy were startled to find not plastic, but a ceramic coffee spoon wedged in his duodenum—the upper part of the small intestine.

Its placement was highly precarious; any sudden movement could have torn the intestinal wall, potentially causing severe bleeding or inflammation. According to hospital staff, it was a miracle the object hadn’t caused serious damage during those months.

Reconstructing a forgotten night

It was only after the discovery that Yan recalled an unusual moment from his Thailand trip back in January. He remembered being intoxicated in his hotel room and attempting to induce vomiting using a spoon. He recounted that the spoon “was pulled from my hand by a force in my throat and disappeared inside.” Following that, he blacked out due to heavy drinking.

The next morning, he dismissed the memory as part of an alcohol-induced dream and attributed the lingering discomfort to the aftereffects of vomiting.

Surgery and a stroke of luck

Despite unknowingly carrying the spoon inside him, Yan returned to Shanghai and resumed his daily routine, including workouts, with no major symptoms. It wasn’t until the endoscopic investigation that the forgotten souvenir from his trip was uncovered.

Doctors initially struggled to retrieve the spoon due to its smooth surface and dangerous positioning. Dr Zhou Hongping, head of the hospital’s endoscopy centre, led the intricate procedure. After a failed first attempt using snare forceps, the team employed two different forceps to manoeuvre the spoon back into the stomach before finally removing it. The entire surgery lasted 90 minutes.

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A fortunate outcome

Following a successful extraction on June 18, Yan was discharged in good health. Reflecting on the ordeal, he expressed immense relief and said he was thankful that the object had been discovered purely by chance.