A medical case report detailed a rare yet horrific incident in which a man recovering from abdominal surgery sneezed and coughed his intestines right out of his body.
The report, which was published in the American Journal of Medical Case Reports last month, describes the patient as a 63-year-old man with a history of prostate cancer who had just undergone a cystectomy procedure to remove his urinary bladder two weeks before. The man and his wife had gone out to breakfast at a diner following the post-operative appointment to celebrate having his staples removed, with the wound ostensibly healing well.
However, what happened next was not for the faint of heart.
"During breakfast, the man sneezed forcefully, followed by coughing," the researches write. "He immediately noticed a 'wet' sensation and pain in his lower abdomen. Looking down, he observed several loops of pink bowel protruding from his recent surgical site."
Initially unsure of what to do, the man covered his exposed intestines with his shirt and even considered driving himself to emergency care. But after realizing that changing positions might further injure his bowel, his wife called for an ambulance. A paramedic who arrived at the scene covered the intestines in a saline-moistened pad, wrapped his entire abdomen in gauze, and administered painkillers before transporting him to the hospital.
Once under medical care, the man was treated by a team of urologic surgeons for evisceration, a rare, surgical complication that occurs when contents of the bowels exit uncontrolled through the wound outside of the abdominal cavity.
"When evisceration occurs, patients may be unsure of how to protect their exposed intestines," the researchers explain in the case abstract. "First medical responders may experience anxiety with initial management due to a distressing presentation and unfamiliarity with the condition."
"Surgeons must carefully protect the bowel, reduce it into the abdomen, inspect it for injury, prevent infection, and repair the dehisced wound," the authors add.
And after having gone through the ordeal, the patient made a full recovery. Following surgery to repair the evisceration, he spent six days in the hospital post-op and was said to have been released in good condition. But still, it's not exactly the thing you want to see over your Moons Over My Hammy.
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