Sichuan chef survives live eel lodged in rectum

Posted: May 1st, 2010 | Tags: asian swamp eel, rectum, sichuan | 1 Comment »

Sichuan Province is famous for its hot and spicy cuisine so it is probably normal for diners with delicate palates to have sudden bowel movement. But what you don’t expect is bowel movement caused by something else inside your body. A 59-year-old chef from Zigong City had to have emergency surgery after friends inserted a live eel into his rectum while he was passed out drunk. Shanghaiist has the disturbing story:

The 59-year-old man, a chef, was reportedly taken to a Sichuan hospital complaining of abdominal pain, dehydration and a great deal of anal bleeding. He was soon diagnosed as being in a severe state of shock.

Doctors were mystified as to the cause, and obtained permission from his family to undertake an exploratory laparotomy. Cutting open his innards, they discovered a 50cm long Asian swamp eel lodged in his rectum.

Though dead, the eel had apparently already wrought havoc on his innards, biting its way through his intestines prior to dying. Internal bleeding and infection rapidly set in.

He was reported to have eaten a lot of eel the previous day, but otherwise doctors had no idea how the creature had got there. His condition quickly worsened.

He lingered for 10 days in intensive care but eventually succumbed to the injuries and sepsis.

The likely cause was eventually established – he had apparently been drinking with friends, and had passed out. His friends had decided it would be amusing to insert a live eel into his anus whilst he was comatose.

Police have reportedly begun an investigation.

The translation from the original article has some errors. The chef survived and spent ten days recovering after surgery to remove the dead eel. There’s a quote from presumably hospital staff that states: “If nothing else, in another two or three days, the patient can be transferred to general ward from the ICU.” What is crazier is the chef waited five ways before going to hospital. Asian swamp eels are not exactly small – here’s a video of one feeding.