When you work in an emergency room, you learn to expect the unexpected. But even the most seasoned doctors admit there’s one type of patient case that never fails to leave them speechless: foreign objects lodged in intimate places.
Yes, people put things where they don’t belong. Sometimes it’s an accident, sometimes it’s experimentation gone wrong, and sometimes it’s just plain unbelievable. The result, however, is usually the same a trip to the ER, a red-faced explanation, and a team of doctors figuring out how to remove something that should never have been there in the first place.
Over the years, medical journals and news outlets have documented some truly jaw-dropping cases. Here’s a look at some of the strangest objects ever found inside the human body and the extraordinary ways doctors managed to remove them.
Why Does This Happen?
Before diving into the weirdest examples, it’s worth asking: why do people end up in these situations?
Doctors usually cite three reasons:
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Accidents – Believe it or not, slips and falls onto objects are occasionally reported.
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Experimentation – Some people test the limits of curiosity or sexual exploration, often without considering the consequences.
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Denial and Delay – Embarrassment keeps many from seeking help immediately, meaning by the time they arrive at the hospital, the situation is much worse.
As one British surgeon famously put it: “If you think you’ve seen it all, just wait until the next patient.”
The Most Extreme Objects Reported
Some of these sound like urban legends, but they are well-documented in medical literature:
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A Glass Lightbulb – Infamously dangerous, because one wrong move and it can shatter inside the body. Surgeons must be extremely careful when removing it.
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A Live Eel – Reported in several cases in China, usually linked to misguided “folk remedies.” Needless to say, this is extremely unsafe and cruel.
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A Buzzing Vibrator – A common entry in ER stories. Sometimes the batteries die, but occasionally it arrives at the hospital still switched on, much to the amusement (and annoyance) of medical staff.
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A Spray Can – Full-sized aerosol cans have been found lodged inside patients. Aside from the obvious problem of size, the pressure inside makes removal risky.
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Vegetables of Unusual Size – Cucumbers, zucchinis, carrots, and even a full corn cob have all been recorded. Doctors often remark that nature seems to provide endless creativity.
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Tools – Wrenches, screwdrivers, and even a toothbrush handle have made their way into ER case reports.
One emergency physician once joked: “If it exists, someone has probably tried to insert it.”
How Doctors Remove Them
Hollywood might make you think it’s just a quick pull, but in reality, the removal of foreign objects is often delicate, time-consuming, and requires real surgical skill.
Doctors usually start with manual extraction while the patient is under anesthesia. If that fails, they move on to endoscopic tools long instruments with cameras. In extreme cases, surgery is the only option.
The golden rule in medicine: never pull blindly. If the object is sharp, fragile, or lodged at an angle, a wrong move could cause a perforation of the colon a life-threatening emergency.
Famous Cases That Made Headlines
Some stories have made it beyond medical journals and into global news.
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In 2017, UK doctors published a case study about a man who had inserted a 17-centimeter dildo that became irretrievable without surgery.
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A Florida man showed up in an ER with a steel travel mug lodged where it shouldn’t be. Doctors had to call in multiple specialists to remove it.
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One particularly shocking report from India involved a man with a live fish stuck in his rectum, claiming it was a prank gone wrong.
Though the headlines are often written for shock value, the medical reality is far more serious. Every case comes with risks of infection, tissue damage, and internal bleeding.
Why Doctors Keep Straight Faces
You might imagine that ER staff burst into laughter when these cases arrive, but professionals insist that while the stories might sound absurd, patients are usually in severe pain, terrified, and embarrassed.
Many doctors point out that compassion is critical. As one New York surgeon said: “By the time someone comes to the ER, they’ve usually tried everything to fix it themselves. They’re scared, ashamed, and they need help not judgment.”
Lessons Learned
If there’s one takeaway from all of this, it’s simple: the human body is not designed for random household objects. Medical professionals strongly advise against inserting anything that doesn’t have a safety base, isn’t sterilized, or isn’t specifically made for that purpose.
These bizarre medical stories might make us laugh or cringe, but they also highlight something important: our bodies are fragile, and curiosity can quickly turn into a medical emergency.
So next time you’re tempted to improvise, remember the words of one ER doctor:
“I’d rather not meet you professionally because of a lightbulb.”
