119 rusty nails removed from woman's stomach

Vietnamese doctors removed 119 rusty nails from a mentally-ill woman’s stomach, after she apparently swallowed them months ago, a doctor said today.

The 43-year-old woman arrived at Hospital No. 121 in southern Can Tho City on Wednesday, complaining of bad stomach ache.

“After having her stomach X-rayed and scanned, we found a stack of strange objects and decided to operate as soon as possible,” said Dr. Tran Van Nam.

During the surgery, doctors removed 119 7-to-8-centimetre nails. Many of them were rusty, indicating they could have been in her stomach for months, Nam said.

The patient’s stomach was scratched by the nails, but she did not suffer any major injuries, he said.

“Her life is not at risk now and she is recovering,” Nam said, adding the patient was expected to be discharged soon.