Pain in the butt: Chinese man lives with 8 embroidery needles in his behind for 10 years

For 10 years, a man in Changsha, China had been living with an unusual pain in his buttocks. 

And it turns out the problem was much more literal than it seemed - he had eight embroidery needles lodged up his posterior.

Chen, 55, described the pain as a sharp stinging sensation in his behind, especially when he ran. However, due to his busy work schedule, he didn't have time to visit the hospital.

It wasn't until 10 years had passed did Chen realise the sensation was getting more excruciating. He finally paid a visit to the hospital earlier this month, but nothing could have prepared him for the news he received.

What appeared to be eight sewing needles were clearly captured in his X-ray, deeply embedded in his right butt-cheek.

As to how they got there in the first place, Chen had apparently fallen into a pile of rubbish at work, including a bag full of embroidery needles which pierced his buttocks. He pulled them out by himself, not realising he had missed some, Chen recounted in an interview with Xiaoxiang Morning Post.

Little did he know the needles he left behind would plague him for the next 10 years.

As they were stuck in an active muscle, the movement caused some of the needles to be pushed rather deep in. Upon seeing the X-ray, his doctor advised that Chen undergo surgery to remove the needles.

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All eight needles were successfully retrieved during his four-hour surgery on Aug 15. Chen has since been discharged and has reportedly recovered from his ordeal. 

This is not the first reported case in China of needles being found lodged in the human body — most recently, a broken needle was found in a child's neck and more alarmingly, in a toddler's heart. 

According to Xiaoxiang Morning Post, in Chen's case, it would have been easy to remove the needles at the time of the incident. However, once such foreign objects remain in the body for a long time, it poses a risk to the surrounding muscles, nerves, vessels and even organs.

rainercheung@asiaone.com