A man from Liaoning province in China endured years of pain after a 12cm chopstick became lodged in his neck.
Identified only by his surname, Wang, the man reportedly swallowed the metal chopstick by accident during a drunken meal in 2018.
A case study released by Dalian Municipal Central Hospital in northeastern Liaoning province in March said he lived with the object embedded in his neck for eight years.
When he was first checked, doctors recommended surgery that would require an incision in the side of his neck to remove the utensil.
However, the 46-year-old “alcoholic” chose not to go ahead with that plan. Afraid of having his neck cut open, he decided to leave the chopstick where it was, putting up with persistent discomfort and pain.
He later explained that he felt ‘periodic discomfort’ when eating, though he did not experience breathing difficulties.
Wang came to believe the sensation was simply a ‘normal reaction’ linked to his drinking.
He eventually returned for medical care after the pain worsened and swallowing became extremely difficult.
With the symptoms no longer tolerable, he sought treatment from doctors at Dalian Municipal Central Hospital.
Surgeons were able to remove the chopstick successfully by using a minimally invasive approach through his mouth.
“He told us a chopstick was trapped in his throat,” said Dr. Huang Weipeng to the South China Post.
“I thought it happened just now, but he said this was eight years ago.”
Doctors said his vocal cords were not significantly harmed by the foreign object, and he is expected to recover fully.
Wang was able to leave the hospital only a few days after the procedure.
Unusual cases like this have been reported elsewhere in China as well.
In 2025, doctors removed a toothbrush from the intestine of a 64-year-old man who went to hospital complaining of stomach pain.
It was found that the 17cm toothbrush had remained inside his body for an astonishing 52 years.
The man was identified as Mr Yang, according to the South China Morning Post.
He said he remembered swallowing the toothbrush at the age of 12, but was too afraid to tell his parents.
Believing it would dissolve over time, Yang continued with his life as though nothing had happened.