A 63-year-old
Florida man
sneezed so forcefully that it caused a portion of his
intestines
to exit through his surgical site, while eating with his wife at a local
restaurant
, as per the Independent.
According to a case study published in the American Journal of Medical Case Reports in May 2024, the man had a history of prostate cancer and just 15 days before the incident at the
diner
, he had a cystectomy, a surgical procedure to remove his urinary bladder, leaving him with a healing abdominal wound.
The patient's treatment for prostate cancer involved a "robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy 9 years prior to the event," and had various treatments for a post-cancer recurrence. During treatments for the post-cancer recurrence, he encountered various health complications as well.
On the morning of the sneezing event, the doctor confirmed that his surgical site had healed properly and that the staples holding the
surgical wound
together could be removed.
Feeling a sense of relief and accomplishment, he and his wife decided to commemorate the occasion and went out to a celebratory breakfast at the diner.
According to the researchers, "During breakfast, the man sneezed forcefully, followed by coughing. He immediately noticed a ‘wet’ sensation and pain in his lower abdomen. Looking down, he observed several loops of pink bowel protruding from his recent surgical site."
"He later related that he was unsure of how to proceed, so he covered the exposed intestines with his shirt. He initially decided to drive himself to the hospital, but concerned that changing his position might injure his bowel, his wife requested an ambulance," it added.
In a state of shock, the man covered the protruding mass with his shirt and opted to call an ambulance instead.
The paramedics covered the wound with a pad and administered painkillers to the man before swiftly transporting him to a nearby hospital. At the hospital, measurements indicated that his vital signs were within normal limits.
"An advanced life support ambulance arrived at the diner 4 minutes after being requested for a “laceration with exposed bowel.” After removing a fluid-soaked shirt, the paramedic noted an approximately 3 inch (7.6 cm) vertical laceration with “large amounts of bowel” protruding through it. Only minimal bleeding was seen," the cast study said.
"Three Urologic surgeons carefully reduced the eviscerated bowel back into the abdominal cavity. They inspected the full length of the small bowel and noted no evidence of injury,” it added.
The article concludes stating that, "While wound dehiscence is a well-known complication, this case is important because evisceration through the abdominal surgical site after cystectomy is poorly described in the medical literature.”
The journal notes the significance of this case, as it addresses gaps in the existing literature regarding dehiscence, which is the rupturing of wounds.
English (US) ·