A Chinese patient recently underwent a three-hour procedure with a team of surgeons to remove 30 inches of his bloated large intestines.
A Chinese patient recently underwent a three-hour procedure with a team of surgeons to remove 30 inches of his bloated large intestines.
Photo:nextshark
The unnamed patient was reportedly born with Hirschsprung’s disease (HD), a rare condition that affects the large intestine (colon) and causes problems with passing stool, giving him severe constipation. HD, which is generally diagnosed in babies and children, affects around one in every 5,000 births.
The patient underwent a major operation to finally relieve him of the massive congestion of stool that has been building up inside him over many years.
Photo:Weixin
According to the doctors at the 10th People’s Hospital of Shanghai, the patient’s stomach began bulging when he was still very young. As an aid to force his bowel movements, he has been mainly relying on laxatives and other medicines. After enduring tremendous pain over the years, the man finally sought medical help.
The recent operation, led by expert surgeon Dr. Yin Lu, helped remove what tests revealed to be years worth of feces trapped in his colon. Dr. Lu said the patient swelled so abnormally that it “looked like to could explode at any time.”
Fortunately, the surgery was deemed a success and the patient is currently in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery soon. As for the removed part of his gut, which had been stitched closed at both ends to keep the trapped stools intact, it reportedly weighed an unbelievable 13 kg (29 lb).
