Man Shocked To Find Knife Lodged In His Chest 14 Months After Stabbing

A man in the Philippines unknowingly walked around with a 4-inch knife blade lodged in his chest for 14 months.

Kent Ryan Tomao, 25, was having an X-ray performed on him this week during a pre-employment medical test when the blade was spotted right near his rib cage, just a few inches from piercing his lungs.

"The doctor said, it should be taken immediately because the knife is close to the lungs, it's dangerous," Tomao told ABS-CBN News (Google Translation showed).

Tomao was attacked by a group of teens in January 2020 while on his way back from work in Kidapawan City. He was brought to a government hospital for treatment, but the doctor who tended to his injury allegedly just stitched up the wound, leaving the broken blade stuck next to his ribs. No X-ray was reportedly conducted at that time.

"They just sewed it straight because the doctor said the wound was low," he told the outlet.

But Tomao was always wondering: "why I felt pain in my chest when the weather was cold. But I had no idea there is a knife in my chest. The pain was never bad enough to even go to see a doctor. I just waited for the pain to pass. Now I’m relieved that I know the real problem."

It's no surprise that he's angry the blade wasn't noticed initially, and not happy that he's been unable to join his mining job until it's removed.

But Tomao isn’t planning to take action against the doctor who attended to him nor the hospital where he was admitted last year. He did demand that the physician fix the problem.

"I am just seeking help so it can be removed," Tomao said. He now hopes to return to Kidapawan City for the procedure.