Man has 100 nails removed from stomach after keeping habit secret from family

A man luckily survived after doctors removed more than 100 iron nails from his stomach. Bhola Shankar, 43, from Bundi, India's north-west Rajasthan state, was deemed psychologically unwell when doctors noticed his habit of eating iron nails.

Doctors found the bizarre contents in the man's stomach after carrying out an x-ray.

Footage of the operation shows surgeons removing the nails from the patient's intestines.

Doctors at the Bundi government hospital said they have recovered at least 116 nails, measuring six and a half centimetres (2.55-in) long each.

However, it's not sure how long he had swallowed the nails for.

Dr Anil Saini, who led the operation, said it was the first instance in Rajasthan and the size of the nail may make it the first such case in India.

Dr Saini believed that the patient has a habit of swallowing sharp metal objects like nails and wires and added that he was lucky to live as none of the nails punctured his stomach.

Bhola's family said they were not aware about his daily activities, therefore did not know much about his rather unusual diet.

He is now recovering well in the hospital.