Vet’s stomach pains caused by hidden bullet lodged in stomach

(Photo courtesy Central European News (CEN))

A Chinese war veteran who went to the doctor with stomach pains was shocked to learn the source of his discomfort was a 1.1-inch bullet lodged in his abdomen, Central European News (CEN) reported.

Duan Zhicai, 94, of the southwest Chinese province of Sichuan, fought in the Sino-Japanese War in 1943 and in the Korean War during the 1950s. He didn’t know the bullet entered his stomach when it did, and he lived comfortably with it for six decades until he went to the doctor complaining of stomach pains about two years ago.

“I’m not sure who was more surprised: him or the doctors,” a spokesman at the hospital that carried out the procedure told CEN. “Certainly, no one expected to find [a bullet] in there.”

Zhicai recalled being injured and said he believed he may have fallen on something sharp in combat. Doctors said the bullet survived in his body for so long because it is metal.

Doctors plan to keep the bullet there because removing it could be harmful considering Duan’s age.

"The bullet is not life-threatening, but trying to remove it could be,” the spokesman told the news website. "We will give him medication to lessen the pain but taking it out would be too much for his body to take and we don’t want to risk it."