An unidentified 34-year-old man went to Hai Ha District Medical Center in Quang Ninh Province complaining of severe abdominal pain.
After examinations, doctors said the fish entered the man's body through his anus and slid up his colon. The eel caused peritonitis, a condition that causes intestinal perforation and inflammation in the stomach or abdomen.
The 30-centimeter-long eel was found after doctors performed ultrasound and X-rays that showed a foreign body in the digestive tract.
Surgical Director Pham Manh Hung told local media, "This is a rare case. There is a lot of fecal fluid in the rectal area and it can easily become infected with bacteria, but there were no problems with the surgery because it was done safely," Pham Manh Hung, the surgical director, told local media.
