Drunk man swallows coffee spoon, doctors fish it out 5 months later

Doctors explained that extracting the spoon was complex due to its slippery surface and precarious position.

Edited by : Ankita Sengupta

July 01, 2025 / 18:00 IST

While travelling in Thailand, the man had been drinking and attempted to use a coffee spoon in his hotel room to induce vomiting. The spoon was inadvertently pulled from his hand by a force in his throat and slid into his stomach. (Representational image: Unsplash)

A Chinese man accidentally swallowed a coffee spoon while being drunk in Thailand, only to believe it was a dream for several months. The 29-year-old, identified as Yan, realised the shocking reality in June when he visited a doctor in Shanghai, suspecting he had ingested plastic, South Cina Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

But, instead of plastic, doctors at Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital discovered a 15cm long ceramic spoon lodged precariously in his duodenum, the first section of the small intestine. Its position was critical; even a slight movement risked intestinal perforation, leading to inflammation or severe bleeding, they said.

A hazy memory becomes reality
It was at this point that Yan's hazy memory of an incident in Thailand back in January solidified into a terrifying reality. While travelling there, he had been drinking and attempted to use a coffee spoon in his hotel room to induce vomiting. The spoon was inadvertently pulled from his hand by a force in his throat and slid into his stomach. Yan soon passed out, and when he awoke the next morning, his memory was so clouded that he genuinely believed he had merely dreamed about swallowing the spoon, attributing any stomach discomfort to the effects of vomiting.

Remarkably, for the next few months after returning to Shanghai, Yan continued his routine, including working out, experiencing no significant issues.

Complex extraction and recovery
Doctors explained that extracting the spoon was complex due to its slippery surface and precarious position. On June 18, Yan underwent an intricate endoscopic surgery that took 90 minutes after the initial attempt with snare forceps failed. Yan has since been discharged from the hospital. She told the media that he was extremely grateful that the spoon was discovered, averting potentially life-threatening complications.