Live fish removed from man’s intestine

A Brazilian man was left in total shock when doctors during a radical surgery, removed a live fish from his intestine.

During the operation, a surgeon pulled out the eel-like fish known to grow up to a length of 125cm, which had apparently burrowed into the man’s body.

Miraculously, the fish was still very much alive when it was removed – and can be seen wriggling around. The creature later had to be euthanised, according to the Brazilian news website, esmeraldanoticias.com.

The unidentified man, who has recovered from the operation made a formal complaint after staff at the Hospital Universitário in Londrina filmed the surgery. The video of him and the fish, known locally as a piramboia, has become a viral sensation after it was posted on the website LiveLeak.

During the operation, doctors can be heard laughing as the wriggling fish is surgically removed and one is heard to say: “This one is for the history”, while another adds: “I have just sent the photo by mail.”

The news comes after a man in China’s southeastern Guangdong province also underwent surgery to remove a live eel from his intestine last year. The 39-year-old man, refused to elaborate on how an aquatic animal ended up swimming inside him.