When a man visited a hospital in Singapore complaining of vomiting and problems swallowing, the doctors weren’t sure what to think at first.
The fact that the illness appeared to have started after the patient consumed a seafood supper was one of the few hints they had.
The root of the issue wasn’t found until they used advanced imaging techniques: an octopus was stuck in the man’s throat.
The incident happened in 2018, but internet news sites have recently been discussing it, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
After being brought to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the unidentified 55-year-old man underwent a sophisticated computed tomography scan with an endoscope.
The critter was located there, just a few inches from where the esophagus connects to the stomach, according to the New York Post.
Doctors flabbergasted after finding octopus in patient’s throat https://t.co/RAWkFCwxLE pic.twitter.com/nTx6kJL0B4
— New York Post (@nypost) July 5, 2023
The first attempts to drag the octopus up or push it down to the stomach failed.
According to the article, medical professionals eventually managed to maneuver the scope past the octopus and bend its head back so they could pick it up with forceps and remove it from the man’s body.
“Thankfully, the patient recovered well following surgery and was discharged after two days,” the Post reported.
No information was available on whether the octopus in issue had been cooked or eaten alive.
However, according to NPR, some regions of the United States, particularly New York and California, serve raw or even live octopus.
Asia has much higher rates of occurrence.
“Live octopus is most famously linked with Korean cuisine; it’s not unusual for it to be available in street markets and restaurants there,” the outlet reported. “It is also traditional in cuisine in other Asian countries, including Japan.”
The practice, however, carries a risk of choking, Insider warned.
The business news outlet quoted author and nutritionist Jenny Tschiesche as advising, “It’s not recommended [to eat live octopus].”
“There’s a choking hazard predominantly from the suckers getting stuck to the inside the throat, leading to the octopus causing an obstruction,” Tschiesche said.
According to the Daily Mail, the octopus had other ideas and fought back when a Chinese woman tried to record herself devouring a live one on her social media vlog in 2019.
“The octopus apparently tried to fend off the attempted diner by sticking to her face with its suckers,” the report said.
“The woman screamed in pain as she desperately attempted to remove the animal’s tentacles from her skin.”
After finally dislodging the creature, she took a look at herself and cried out, “My face is disfigured!”
The vlogger reportedly added, “I’ll eat it in the next video,” according to the article.
Evidently, the octopus survived to fight another day.
