Rusty Knife Removed From 76-Year-Old Man's Head, 26 Years After He Was Stabbed With It

A four-inch-long rusty knife was removed from an elderly man’s head in China, two decades after he was stabbed with it.

According to reports, the man, identified as 76-year-old Duorijie, was stabbed 26 years ago in a violent attack and the weapon was since stuck inside his head. In 2012, he developed chronic headaches and loss of vision. The doctors, however, couldn’t remove the knife at that time as they felt that removing it would put the man’s life at risk.

Earlier this year, the man, a farmer, went on a medical tour of Qinghai during which the doctors spotted the knife in his head. He was shifted to a hospital in Shandong.

“When we found him while on a medical tour of Qinghai, we learned that experts had decided on more conservative treatment, prescribing only painkillers. But his symptoms began increasingly severe and unbearable. Due to the limitations of local hospitals, we decided to bring him to Shandong for the best possible treatment,” Doctor Zhang Shuxiang said.

Several scans were conducted by the doctors at Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital following which they decided to take out the knife.

“CT and X-ray scans showed the blade at the base of the patient’s skull, lodged against his eye socket and pressing against his optic nerve,” head ophthalmologist Dang Guangfu said.

The first surgery was conducted on April 2 and the second on April 8. The surgery was successful and the knife was removed from his head.

“During the two-hour surgery, surgeons removed the rusty 10-centimeter (4-inch) blade. On April 8, he underwent a second operation to clean his wound,” Doctor Zhang said.

“He’s recovering well and can already walk around on his own. His head pains are gone, and he has regained full sight in his right eye. He can also open his mouth and no longer coughs,” the doctor added.

Speaking about the surgery, chief neurosurgeon Liu Guangcun said it was the “only way to resolve the pensioner’s suffering once and for all.”

Meanwhile, thanking the doctors, Duorijie said, “I couldn’t laugh, yawn or even cough. The doctors have given me a second chance at life and ended my nightmare of more than 20 years.”