Docs Remove Metal Rods From Man’s Stomach

HANOI, Vietnam – Vietnamese doctors removed three metal construction rods from a man’s stomach about a month after he swallowed them in a rice whiskey drinking challenge, an official said Monday.

Huynh Ngoc Son, 22, swallowed the rods, which were 6.7 inches long and 0.2 inches thick, after being dared by his drinking buddies in mid-May, said Dr. Le Quang Nghia of Binh Dan Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

Son went to the hospital last week complaining of serious stomach pains, and X-rays revealed the construction bars were lodged in his stomach, Nghia said.

The rods were removed during a 30-minute operation, and Son’s stomach was not seriously damaged by the ordeal, Nghia said.

Son was in stable condition Monday and was expected to be discharged from the hospital this week, he said.