A 62 year old woman from Liaoning province has undergone surgery to remove a bullet that was lodged in her head for 48 years, local media reports.
A doctor at China Medical University successfully removed the 2.5 cm (1 inch) long bullet from the head of the woman, surnamed Zhao, who has suffered from a chronic stuffy nose, headaches and swollen lymph nodes for the last 10 years.
Only after the operation did Zhao realise that what she believed to be a small stone that struck her temple at age 14 was actually a stray bullet, going on to say that she was "grateful to [the bullet] for allowing me to live and have the opportunity of my life with my family."
Zhao was put off surgery after a previous hospital visit where a doctor told her it would be necessary to cut her nose and upper lip to remove the bullet. Eventually, the pain became too unbearable, and she made a second doctor's visit, where her would be surgeon explained that a minimally invasive procedure could be performed.
As to how the bullet remained in Zhao's head for so long without causing major damage, doctors believe it is probably because the bullet lodged itself in her nose, avoiding damage to the brain.
Earlier this month, a 23 year old man had a plastic whistle removed by doctors after swallowing it in 1999. It had caused him to cough incessantly and make shrill whistling sounds in his sleep.
[Image via Nen.com.cn.]
0 User Comments