In a chilling yet miraculous incident from southern China, a man who fell face-first onto a dinner table and impaled his head through his mouth on a metal rod has survived after an intense 10-hour surgical procedure, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
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Shocking accident during dinner
The man, referred to by the alias Aqiang, was dining and drinking with colleagues when the accident occurred. According to SCMP, he became heavily intoxicated, and upon standing, lost his balance and fell onto a dinner table. Tragically, a long metal rod was standing upright on the table, which pierced into his mouth as he struck the top of it.
Stunned and horrified, Aqiang’s colleagues watched as blood gushed from his mouth. They immediately called emergency services, and he was rushed to Shenzhen University General Hospital in Guangdong province. The hospital shared details of his shocking case on social media on April 11.
A rare and risky medical case
Doctors at the hospital's Trauma Centre described the case as extremely rare and dangerous. “This foreign object carried a lot of bacteria. The path it penetrated the patient involves his mouth, eyes and brain. Any small, careless operation might lead to a fatal problem,” they told sznews.com, as cited by SCMP.
{{/usCountry}}Doctors at the hospital's Trauma Centre described the case as extremely rare and dangerous. “This foreign object carried a lot of bacteria. The path it penetrated the patient involves his mouth, eyes and brain. Any small, careless operation might lead to a fatal problem,” they told sznews.com, as cited by SCMP.
{{/usCountry}}X-ray scans revealed the 40cm-long metal rod was lodged just 2mm from critical brain blood vessels—an almost impossible margin of safety. Firefighters were first instructed to cut off the external portion of the rod before surgery could begin.
Adding to the complexity, the rod was fastened with a clip at the top, posing serious risk to the brain, eyes, and mouth during extraction. Surgeons, however, managed to carefully and successfully remove the rod without further harm.
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Following the high-stakes surgery, Aqiang spent several days in the intensive care unit battling infection. After a month-long hospital stay, he was finally discharged.
Doctors reported that despite some impaired vision in his right eye, Aqiang's language and motor functions remained unaffected.
“I still feel scared when thinking about the incident. I was saved by doctors. It is a blessing in a bad situation,” he said, grateful for the life-saving treatment.