A surgeon has removed
a rusty knife from a man’s head which was embedded there for 26 years.
The four-inch blade had been there since he
was violently mugged in 1994.
In 2012, the patient, 76, named Mr Duorijie
sought medical attention after he began suffering from a chronic headache, but
the knife was kept in his head because it was believed to pose a threat to his
life if he had it removed.
It was finally taken
out at Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital in China, which described the case as a
‘miracle’.
Mr Duorijie, who is
from the rural county of Haiyan in China’s north-western Qinghai Province,
underwent two procedures on April 2 and 8.
The two-part
life-saving surgery was designed by Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital’s chief ear,
nose and mouth specialist Wang Qiron and deputy head Wang Baodong.
Doctor Zhang said:
‘During the two-hour surgery, surgeons removed the rusty 10-centimetre blade.
‘On April 8, he underwent a second operation to clean his wound. ‘He’s
recovering well and can already walk around on his own. His head pains are
gone, and he has regained full sight in his right eye.’ Mr Duorijie said: ‘I couldn’t
laugh, yawn or even cough. ‘The doctors have given me a second chance at life
and ended my nightmare of more than 20 years.’