Moga, Punjab: After a three-hour surgery, doctors of Medicity Hospital in Moga were left shocked as they found earphones, rakhi, nuts and bolts, lockets and screws, in the stomach of a 40-year-old man. Complaining chronic stomach pain and high fever, the patient Kuldeep Singh came to Moga Medicity Speciality hospital earlier this week on Tuesday. Doctors said that Singh had endured stomach discomfort and nausea for the past 2 years.
To uncover the root of his distress, doctors advised him to undergo abdominal X-ray, and the results were nothing short of alarming as number of metallic objects like earphones, washers, nuts and bolts, wires, rakhis (a traditional Indian decorative thread), lockets, buttons, wrappers, hairclips, a zipper tag, a marble, a safety pin were found inside the patient’s stomach. “We then decided to operate on him,” said Ajmer Singh Kalra, director of the hospital.
According to Dr. Ajmer Kalra, this unique case marked the first of its kind in his medical experience. “Despite the successful removal of all the foreign objects from his body with a three-hour surgery, the man’s health remained unstable, as the extended presence of these items in his stomach had led to additional health complications”, the doctor noted.
The surgery was conducted by Surgeon Anup Handa and gastroenterologist Dr. Vishavnoor Kalra. They also revealed that the patient was suffering from pica disorder.
Pica disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by a persistent and compulsive craving for and consumption of non-food substances with no nutritional value over a period of at least one month. Pica disorder is most commonly diagnosed in children, pregnant women, and individuals with intellectual disabilities, although it can occur in people of any age or background. The exact cause of pica disorder is not well understood, but it is believed to be associated with various factors, including nutritional deficiencies, psychological stressors, cultural practices, and developmental disorders.
Meanwhile, speaking to a leading portal, the man’s family admitted they were unaware of when or why he had ingested the items. They recounted that he had been complaining of stomach pain and experiencing sleep disturbances in the days leading up to his hospitalization.
