A Florida man recently sneezed violently while eating in the dining room with his wife, causing parts of his intestines to protrude from a surgical wound, researchers said.
The case, published in May 2024 issue. of the American Journal of Medical Case ReportsThe unnamed 63-year-old man has a history of prostate cancer.
During repeated treatments for cancer, he experienced various health problems and 15 days before the eating disorder began, he underwent a cystectomy (bladder removal) procedure.
By the morning of the sneeze, the man’s doctors said he was healing well and would remove the staples holding the wound together.
He and his wife went out for breakfast at a diner to celebrate.
“At breakfast, the man sneezed violently, then coughed. He immediately noticed a “wet” feeling and pain in the lower abdomen. When he looked down, he noticed that several rods of pink intestine had recently been removed from the surgical site,” the researchers wrote.
Covering his shock with his shirt, the man intended to drive himself to the hospital, but the change of location worsened his wound and he called an ambulance instead.
The paramedics who arrived covered the wound with a pad, gave the man painkillers and took him to a nearby hospital.
There, the parameters showed his vital signs within normal limits.
“Three urologic surgeons carefully reduce the damaged bowel back into the abdominal cavity,” the cast study continues. “They checked the entire length of the small intestine and didn’t notice any damage.”
The journal says the issue is important because it fills gaps in the literature on dehydration and wound healing.
“Although wound dehiscence is a well-known complication, this issue is important because abdominal surgical site discharge after cystectomy is poorly described in the medical literature,” the article concludes.