Doctors Remove 40 Knives From A Man’s Stomach

Even the Man of Steel had nothing on a New Delhi patient, who was rushed to the hospital after spending two months swallowing knives.

Indian man swallows 40 KNIVES because he likes the way they taste https://t.co/N5wgtFmRmH pic.twitter.com/aaNpm1nsdP

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 21, 2016

The patient, a 42-year-old father of two, was said to have found the urge to swallow metal - and having them removed from his stomach is a feat that doctors should be proud of. Dr. Jatinder Malhotra, who was part of the team that operated on the man told CNN, "We were so nervous... a small mistake could have taken the patient's life. In my 20 years of practice, I have never seen anything like it."

He shared that it took the team about two days to form their diagnosis and surgery plan, which commenced in a five-hour operation that took place in the northern Indian City of Amritsar on Friday. All in all, they extracted 40 knives from the man's stomach, some folded, some unfolded, and others rusting.

The doctor shared, "He [the patient] says he swallowed some knives folded, and some unfolded. When we took out the knives -- some were found folded, some were open, and some had even started rusting and were broken." The patient is now out of danger, and would be discharged in a couple of days - however, the hospital won't let him leave until his psychiatrist clears him.

Still, the question remains: why did he start eating knives in the first place? "I don't know why I used to swallow knives. I just enjoyed its taste and I was addicted ... how people get addicted to alcohol and other things, my situation was similar."

Malhorta himself believes that the patient has a rare mental disorder that have not been published yet. The Huffington Post pointed out that there is actually a disorder for it, called pica. People affected with the illness have the urge to eat things that are non-nutritive, like ice and dirt, but the man's case may be unique.