A man identified only as Deng began experiencing abdominal bloating and pain about a month ago, but initially shrugged it off as symptoms of gastroenteritis. After changing his diet and taking over-the-counter medication failed to alleviate his symptoms, the 67-year-old opted to go to the hospital. After performing an emergency gastroscopy, doctors noticed a strange object corroded by stomach acid deep in the man’s stomach. However, attempts to remove it failed due to its smooth, slippery exterior. The medical team decided to postpone the removal of the object so they could investigate its nature and origin. When asked if he had any idea what the object might be, Deng remembered an incident in the early 1990s when he swallowed a plastic lighter on a dare while out drinking with friends. He never told his family about it and had assumed that the lighter had passed through his system years ago. After confirming that the foreign object was indeed a cigarette lighter, the medical team assessed the best removal method. Surgery was deemed too invasive, and regular endoscopy also had a low chance of success due to the smooth texture of the lighter. In the end, the team opted for a “condom-like” technique, completely encasing the foreign object before pulling it out. Although the lighter’s casing had been corroded and blackened by stomach acid, it still had gas inside, and doctors were shocked to find that it still worked. They explained that common lighter casings are made of polypropylene or ABS plastic, which are highly acid-resistant, thus able to resist stomach acid corrosion for a long time. Deng went on to make a full recovery, having a learned a lesson about doing dumb things on a dare.
