In a rare feat, Indian doctors remove 40 knives from within man’s body
On Friday, an overwhelming 40 knives were surgically removed from within a man’s body in an operation that lasted 5 hours. The 42 year old man had swallowed knives for a period of two months. As per Dr Jitender Malhotra who was involved in the operation, the patient had a wild urge to consume metal. He added that it was frightening even for the experienced surgeons.
He said to the American media house CNN,”We were so nervous… a small mistake could have taken the patient’s life. In my 20 years of practice, I have never seen anything like it.”
Malhotra said that it took his team almost two days to form the diagnosis and a surgery plan. The operation took place in a hospital in Amritsar. The knives that were removed were foldable which when wholly extended were about seven inches long.
The patient apparently had swallowed knives both folded and unfolded. Some of the knives that were removed had even begun to rust and were broken.
While talking to CNN, the patient, a family man and father of two said that he’s sorry that he let his family down and that he’ll forever remain thankful to the doctors and hospital staff for saving his life. The patient is now out of danger.
But why eat knives?
There doesn’t seem to be any solid reasoning for the patient swallowing knives though. As per the man himself, he just “enjoyed its taste” and “was addicted.” He compared his situation to how people get addicted to alcohol.
Malhotra thinks that he has a very rare mental disorder which most likely hasn’t been published in any global medical journal. The patient said that he “developed a taste for metal” and also that he loved the way blades tasted.
His fetish for blades remained a secret, even from his family.But he now claims himself to be a new person who “will never do such acts ever again.”
The doctors have given him an advice: in case the urge for iron strikes again, try spinach.
Image credits: telegraph.co.uk