Man ruptures stitches sneezing, wife watches in horror as his colon falls out

Miami, FL (June 12th) - In a shocking turn of events, surgeons had to reinsert a man's prolapsed colon after a powerful sneeze dislodged it, prompting calls for caution. The 63-year-old survivor had just undergone abdominal surgery for prostate cancer and was out celebrating his clean bill of health with his wife when disaster struck.

While at a local diner enjoying breakfast with his spouse, the man let out a violent sneeze, instantly feeling a wet, painful sensation in his abdomen, as detailed in the American Journal of Medical Case Reports. According to the New York Post, to his horror, he looked down to find "several loops of pink bowel protruding" through the surgical incision site.

Acting fast, the man covered his exposed intestines with his shirt as his wife promptly called for an ambulance. The paramedics came upon a horrifying sight, observing a 3-inch vertical tear in the man's stomach with his colon exposed through the gaping injury. Despite the shocking sight, the man had suffered little blood loss.

The patient was rushed to the hospital, where three urologic surgeons carefully reinserted the eviscerated bowel back into the abdominal cavity. "They inspected the full length of the small bowel and noted no evidence of injury," the medical journal report stated. Using a series of figure-of-eight stitches, one of the strongest surgical closures, they repaired the abdomen to prevent another prolapse.

While such incidents are incredibly rare, the case highlights the need to handle exposed intestines properly. "Paramedics should control visible bleeding, rinse the bowel with sterile solution, and cover it with a moist sterile dressing," advised the journal authors, emphasizing the importance of education on this medical emergency.

The Florida man's miraculous recovery saw him weaned off pain medication and back on a normal diet within six days of the shocking surgery. His harrowing story serves as a reminder that even routine bodily functions like sneezing can have potentially disastrous consequences for those with prior abdominal surgeries.