Toothbrush Removed From Indian Man Stomach After He Swallowed It While Brushing A bloodied toothbrush had to be removed from a man’s stomach after he swallowed it while cleaning the back of his throat. Doctors removed the 19cm-long brush within 24 hours, fearing that leaving it any longer could have been fatal. The patient, 39, whose name has been withheld, was brushing his teeth on September 15 when it slipped. He rushed to a nearby health clinic, which quickly referred him to a hospital more than 100km away. An X-ray and further tests couldn’t locate the brush in the man’s throat – leading doctors to conclude it was in his stomach. A minor operation was performed a short time later and the brush was removed. The man remained in hospital while he recovered and was discharged a few days later. Dr Bomni Tayeng, a senior surgeon at Bakin Pertin General Hospital, Pradesh, India, said: ‘The patient was taken to a private hospital in Pasighat – from there he was referred to our hosp...