I found a toothbrush I swallowed 52 years ago in my body...I knew it would break down
Jun 18, 2025
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According to Taiwanese media Free Times, Yang, a 64-year-old man living in Anhui Province, China, recently visited a hospital with abdominal and chest pain and found out that he had an old toothbrush in his stomach.
Through endoscopy and imaging, the medical staff found a long, slender foreign body in his duodenum (part of the small intestine). According to a detailed examination, the substance was a plastic toothbrush for children.
Yang confessed to the doctors that he swallowed a toothbrush while playing a joke when he was 12, and hid it in fear of being scolded by his mother.
He said at the time that he thought the toothbrush would naturally decompose over time, and that he had completely forgotten it since then.
Surprisingly, the toothbrush stayed in his system for 52 years, but it did not cause serious complications such as intestinal perforation or inflammation.
The medical staff said such cases are very unusual and explained that Yang was extremely lucky.
Now he has successfully removed his toothbrush through surgery, and his health condition is stable.
Experts warned that foreign body swallowing accidents in children are common and that if not treated in a timely manner, it can lead to chronic inflammation, ulcers, infections, and even sepsis. In addition, he urged people not to hide it out of fear or shame and to visit a hospital immediately.
The medical staff said "Even a tiny foreign object can develop into a serious health risk over time," he stressed.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
