Constipation, however real, is something that is not taken as a serious health hazard. However, this piece of news will force you to think again! A 22-year old man from China recently underwent a surgery to remove 13 kg of faecal matter from his intestine, that had accumulated over 22 years of chronic constipation.

This disorder is usually diagnosed in newborns. However, this man from Shanghai had been experiencing trouble in defecation due to a missing nerve cell in the colon ever since birth. This led to an accumulation of the waste material that was supposed to be expelled, and resulted in a ‘megacolon’ holding 13 kg of faecal matter.

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The surgery was conducted on 8 June by Dr Doctor Yin Lu of Tenth People’s Hospital in Shanghai.

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Surgery was the only option since the man was under severe risk of developing Sepsis, a life-threatening condition in which the waste toxins come in contact with the blood stream. The surgery involved the removal of 30 cm of colon holding 13 kg of waste.

The delay in treatment was due to the negligence on behalf of the man’s family, who always viewed it as a ‘minor ailment’, no different from how constipation is generally viewed. Despite using laxatives all his life, the man was unable to dispose, ultimately leading to surgery.

Shit just got serious!

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