Man removes iron nails from stomach downed during argument with ex-girlfriend

A medical worker displays two iron nails removed from a man's stomach after he intentionally swallowed them during the heat of an argument with his girlfriend two years ago. Photo: Xiaoxiang Morning Herald

A man in Changsha, Hunan province was hospitalized after he extracted two long nails he had swallowed during a quarrel through an infected wound in his stomach.

Li Kai ( pseudonym) is recovering at Changsha Central Hospital (CCH) after he dug out the two 10-centimeter long iron nails. Li claims he swallowed the nails two years ago during the heat of an argument with his now ex-girlfriend, and the anger was too much to stomach.

"I was so angry then that I swallowed two nails. But I still failed to save the relationship," said the 25-year-old Li at CCH on December 30, 2013.

Li explained he felt just fine until two weeks ago, when he discovered a painful lump on his stomach while bathing.

"The lump broke soon after and some yellow liquid oozed out. Then I could see two black objects in the wound," Li described, who then was able to pull out the nails with his fingers.

Doctors explained bacteria on the nails caused the body to naturally create a passageway for the foreign objects to exit.

"Bacteria on the nails caused infection and fistula inside his abdomen, which then developed into open wound," said Ding Yong, a doctor at CCH.

There have been similar recent cases reported where people swallowed down objects as a way to express their anger. Doctors at Jiangsu Province Hospital struggled to save a man who swallowed a 12-centimeter-long stainless steel chopstick during an argument with his wife at table in September, 2013.