Have you ever gone away for a long weekend and found yourself having a little trouble going to the bathroom? It’s quite an uncomfortable feeling. Well, imagine having been constipated for over 20 years and how that would make your body feel.
In this clip from The Doctors, the hosts are joined by proctologist Dr. Rosenfeld to discuss this incredible case in which a man had 30 pounds of poop removed from his body that had been stored for 22 years.
One major thing that the doctors were wondering was how this patient actually survived all these years with a colon just filled with all that feces.
“It didn’t rupture. He’s lucky,” explains Dr. Rosenfeld. “And because this came from a congenital defect, a birth defect, called Hirschsprung’s, he’s been dealing with this for so many years … it’s been building up.”
Had this gentleman been going to the bathroom on a regular basis all these years or was it just a constant buildup? “I’m sure he was going to the bathroom,” Rosenfeld offers. “It wasn’t like he wasn’t going or they would’ve figured it out earlier.”
The catch in this case is that Hirschsprung's disease — a birth defect in which some nerve cells are missing in the large intestine, causing the stool to become stuck and unable to escape — is typically diagnosed at birth. This man was not properly diagnosed until recently.
Rosenfeld also wants people to know that something like this doesn’t happen with typical or even extreme constipation that can occur with individuals from time to time. He sees patients all the time for what he likes to call “impacted” stool, and in those mild cases, his patients often feel nothing but utter relief after treatment. Can you imagine the relief this man felt?
To hear some more of the gory details and to see the photos of the colon that was filled with 30 pounds of poop, watch the video.
*Disclaimer: The advice on LittleThings.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
