Unusual Objects Found Inside Patients by Doctors

1. Surgical Instruments Left Behind

• Scalpels and Forceps: These are some of the most common surgical instruments inadvertently left inside patients post-surgery. This phenomenon, known as a "retained surgical item," can cause significant complications and often requires additional surgery to remove.
• Sponges and Towels: Surgical sponges and towels are also frequently left inside the body. Despite counts and checks, these soft materials can be missed and lead to infections and other severe health issues.
• Retractors: Larger instruments like retractors have also been found inside patients. These occurrences highlight the importance of rigorous surgical protocols.

2. Unusual Ingestions

• Coins and Batteries: Commonly found in children, coins and small batteries are often ingested and may become lodged in the esophagus or stomach, posing serious risks.
• Dental Appliances: Dental retainers or partial dentures have been accidentally swallowed and lodged in the digestive tract, requiring medical intervention to retrieve.
• Cutlery and Utensils: Cases of individuals swallowing forks, spoons, and other utensils have been documented, often due to psychiatric conditions or accidental ingestion.

3. Foreign Objects in the Rectum

• Sex Toys and Household Items: Radiologists often encounter sex toys and various household items such as bottles, bulbs, and even vegetables inside the rectum. These incidents usually result from sexual experimentation gone wrong.
• Drug Concealment: Known as "body packing," individuals have been found with packets of drugs inserted rectally or swallowed, with the intent to smuggle them. These packets can rupture, leading to severe health emergencies.

4. Objects Inserted in Ears and Nose

• Small Toys and Beads: Pediatric cases often involve small toys, beads, and other tiny objects inserted into the ears or nose. These can cause pain, infections, and hearing loss if not promptly removed.
• Insects: Insects like cockroaches and spiders have been found lodged in ears, usually entering while the person is asleep. This can cause severe discomfort and requires careful extraction.

5. Medical Devices

• IUDs and Catheters: Intrauterine devices (IUDs) and catheters can sometimes migrate from their intended positions, causing pain and requiring surgical retrieval.
• Pacemakers: Components of pacemakers or other implanted devices can occasionally break off or malfunction, leading to the need for surgical intervention to remove or replace the device.

6. Weaponry and Shrapnel

• Bullets and Knives: Surgeons frequently remove bullets and knives from victims of violence. These objects can remain lodged in the body and pose risks of infection and internal damage.
• Shrapnel: In war zones, radiologists and surgeons often deal with shrapnel embedded in the bodies of soldiers and civilians. These can be challenging to remove due to their fragmentation and deep embedding.

7. Natural Objects

• Stones and Twigs: Particularly in trauma cases, stones, twigs, and other natural debris can be found inside wounds. These need to be carefully cleaned out to prevent infection.
• Plants: Cases of plants growing inside human bodies have been reported, such as a small fir tree sprouting in a man's lung. These rare instances occur when seeds enter the body and find a conducive environment to grow.

8. Unusual Surgical Mistakes

• Scissors: Instances of scissors being left inside patients post-surgery have been documented. These errors emphasize the need for stringent surgical protocols.
• Gloves: Surgical gloves have been found inside patients, sometimes resulting from the glove tearing and pieces being left behind unnoticed.

9. Items Used for Self-Harm or Suicide Attempts

• Blades and Needles: Individuals with psychiatric conditions have been known to insert blades, needles, and other sharp objects into their bodies. These cases require careful handling to prevent further harm during removal.
• Razor Blades: Swallowing or inserting razor blades is a severe form of self-harm seen in psychiatric patients, requiring immediate medical attention to retrieve safely.

10. Historical and Cultural Artifacts

• Ancient Tools: Archaeological finds have uncovered ancient tools and artifacts lodged in human remains, providing insights into historical medical practices and traumas.
• Cultural Implements: Items used in traditional practices, such as ritual beads or instruments, have been found inside bodies, reflecting the cultural context of the individual.

11. Accidentally Ingested Items

• Fish Bones: Fish bones are common foreign bodies found in the throat and digestive tract. They can cause significant discomfort and sometimes require endoscopic removal.
• Dental Bridges and Crowns: These can be accidentally swallowed and pose a risk if they obstruct the digestive tract or cause internal injury.

12. Objects Inserted for Smuggling

• Drug Balloons: Drug mules often swallow or insert balloons filled with drugs to smuggle them across borders. These balloons can rupture, leading to life-threatening overdoses.
• Jewelry and Valuables: In rare cases, people have been found with valuable items like diamonds or gold ingots hidden inside their bodies for smuggling purposes.

13. Bizarre Ingestions

• Light Bulbs: Cases of light bulbs being swallowed or inserted into the body have been reported, often requiring careful surgical extraction to prevent breakage.
• Live Animals: There have been rare and bizarre reports of live animals, such as eels or fish, being found inside people’s bodies, typically as part of a dare or due to certain cultural practices.

14. Embedded Medical Instruments

• Surgical Wires: Wires used during surgeries can sometimes break and remain inside the body, causing pain and necessitating further surgery for removal.
• Implant Fragments: Components from medical implants, like screws or plates, can sometimes break off and migrate within the body, leading to complications.

15. Foreign Objects from Trauma

• Vehicle Parts: In severe road accidents, parts of vehicles, such as windshield glass or metal fragments, can become embedded in the body and require surgical removal.
• Industrial Debris: Workers in industrial accidents can have various debris, such as nails or metal shards, embedded in their bodies, posing significant risks if not promptly removed.