Sulaimani man swallows 24 tweezers, needles in rare medical case

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A 29-year-old man from Sulaimani province was hospitalized after swallowing dozens of metal objects in what doctors described on Tuesday as an extremely rare case, likely linked to underlying mental health issues.

Doctors at Sulaimani Teaching Hospital removed the objects through endoscopy during a two-hour operation, reporting that the man sustained injuries to his stomach lining, esophagus, and intestines.

The objects included 16 tweezers, eight needles, and two tweezer bags.

“This is the first time I have seen such a thing in my medical career. It is a very, very rare [incident] in the region, and even in the world,” Dr. Hiwa Abubakir, the operating physician, told Rudaw on Tuesday.

Abubakir noted that while the procedure was successful, the swallowed objects had nearly caused damage to surrounding organs.

The man, believed to have psychological disorders, has since been referred to a psychiatric hospital for further evaluation.

Swallowing foreign objects can result in serious health complications, including internal bleeding, infection, and organ perforation. While accidental ingestion is more common in children, intentional ingestion in adults is often linked to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, personality disorders, or severe depression.