Lighter removed after 30 years in patient's stomach

Doctors in Sichuan used a condom to tightly encase a 7 cm lighter, extracting the foreign object from a patient's stomach more than three decades after he swallowed it.

The procedure took place on 22/11 at Chengfei Hospital in Chengdu. Dr. Yang Bo, Deputy Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, and his team opted for endoscopic intervention instead of open surgery to minimize invasiveness.

Due to the lighter's smooth surface, specialized metal forceps kept slipping, unable to secure the object. The team innovated by inserting a condom into the stomach via the endoscope, skillfully threading the entire foreign object into the rubber pouch to create grip, then pulling it out through the mouth. This procedure took only about 20 minutes and was completely successful.

Dr. Bo (left) checks on Deng. *Red Star News*

Two days earlier, Deng, 67, was admitted to the hospital with abdominal distension and persistent pain for a month. Previous treatments for gastroenteritis had been ineffective. Initial endoscopic images on 20/11 revealed a black, box-shaped mass deep within his stomach.

After recovering from anesthesia, the patient recalled the incident from the 1990s. He stated that around 1991 or 1992, while drinking with friends, he accepted a dare and swallowed the lighter whole. When he sobered up, he assumed the foreign object had passed naturally and did not seek medical attention. For the past 30 years, he rarely experienced stomach pain, only occasional discomfort, and self-medicated until the pain worsened recently.

The extracted foreign object had turned completely black, and its outer casing was corroded, but its basic structure remained intact, with residual liquid even found inside. Dr. Yang explained that lighter casings are typically made from polypropylene or ABS plastic, which offers excellent acid resistance, preventing decomposition in the stomach's pH 1,5-3,5 environment. However, its large size caused the object to become lodged, unable to pass through the pylorus into the small intestine and be excreted.

Doctors warned the public against swallowing foreign objects. Specifically, with lighters, the butane gas inside poses a risk of leakage, potentially causing chemical poisoning, mucosal ulceration, or even explosion with prolonged exposure to gastric acid. Deng's health is recovering well, and he can eat again.