An accident occurred in China when an intoxicated man fell onto a table and had a metal rod impaled into his head. After a 10-hour surgery, the man miraculously survived.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Sunday that the man, who was dining with colleagues, got up from his seat while drunk and fell, causing a long metal rod on the table to pierce through his mouth and deeply into his skull.
This incident came to light after Shenzhen University General Hospital in Guangdong Province, where the man was treated, shared the story on social media on April 11.
The man’s colleagues, who were at the scene, called an ambulance after seeing blood pouring from his mouth and rushed him to the hospital. X-ray scans revealed that a 40 cm-long metal rod had penetrated his mouth and reached his brain.
Fortunately, the rod had stopped just 2 mm away from a major blood vessel in the brain.
The challenge was that the top of the rod was attached to a clip, which required removal without damaging the brain, eyes, or mouth. Moreover, the rod carried the added risk of infection due to possible viruses and bacteria.
Medical staff at the hospital’s trauma center told local media that the metal rod was contaminated with numerous bacteria, and the foreign object had penetrated the patient’s mouth, eyes, and brain—meaning even a minor mistake could have had fatal consequences.
The surgery began after firefighters cut off the portion of the metal rod protruding outside the mouth. After 10 hours, the team successfully removed the rod embedded in the brain. The man remained in the intensive care unit for several days for infection treatment, then continued recovery in a general ward, and was discharged after a month.
Doctors stated that while the man lost vision in his right eye, his language and motor functions remained unaffected.
The man said he still feels terrified when thinking about the incident and expressed gratitude, saying that the doctors saved his life. It was a difficult situation, but he’s truly thankful.
Social media users reacted to his story with comments expressing admiration for the medical team and highlighting the dangers of excessive drinking, with some noting that he had been rescued from a life-threatening situation and others calling it vivid proof of alcohol’s risks.
