Recently, the Urology Department at Guangzhou Xinshi Hospital received an unusual case. Driven by curiosity, a 26-year-old man self-inserted a chain of 24 connected beads, about 18 cm long, into his urethra. However, sphincter spasms caused the foreign object to slide deep into his bladder, where it became knotted and could not be removed naturally. The patient then had to seek emergency medical care.
After precisely locating the foreign object using CT scan results, attending physician Truong Quy Dung performed minimally invasive endoscopic surgery via the urinary tract to carefully remove the entire bead chain. Following the surgery, the patient's health recovered well. The doctor stated that the hospital receives similar patients each year. Foreign objects inserted into the bladder and urethra are diverse, including magnetic beads and glass beads.
According to Doctor Ho Hong Lam, Head of Urology at Nanchang University's Second Affiliated Hospital, the online misconception that "the urethra is elastic and can have objects inserted into it" is absurd. While the urethra has some flexibility, its elasticity is limited, and it is not designed for foreign object insertion. Anatomically, the male urethra has three physiological narrowings, including: the internal urethral orifice, the membranous part, and the external urethral orifice; it also has two bends: the subpubic and prepubic sections. Deliberately inserting foreign objects causes scratches, bleeding, and can even lead to urethral perforation.
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The man in Guangzhou, China, inserted the bead chain into his urethra out of curiosity. Photo: 163. |
The man in Guangzhou, China, inserted the bead chain into his urethra out of curiosity. Photo: 163.
The doctor explained that once a foreign object enters the bladder, it can become a nucleus for stone formation, causing inflammation, infection, and the accumulation of urinary tract debris. In the long term, this condition can lead to permanent urethral stricture, bladder spasms causing urinary incontinence, and prolonged chronic irritation may even increase the risk of bladder cancer.
Medical experts advise people to never use their bodies for experimentation. Should an incident occur, immediate treatment at a specialized medical facility is necessary. Patients must not attempt self-removal with tweezers or hide their condition due to embarrassment, as this delays treatment and can lead to lifelong regrettable consequences.
"The urethra is not a toy, and the bladder is not a storage bag. Curiosity always needs limits, and health cannot be remade," said Doctor Ho. Courageously confronting the issue and proactively seeking early treatment is the most appropriate solution.
By Binh Minh (Source: 163, Sina, ST Headline)
