Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Some poor sap found out the hard way that swallowing a phone is not a good idea

wireless emergency alert augmentation smartphone user
Tatsiana Yuralaits/123RF
The last thing you’re probably thinking of doing to your phone is swallowing it whole. Alas, that’s exactly what happened, somehow, to one unfortunate Irishman, according to a report in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports.

Related: Trade up to a new iPhone for as low as $10 a month

The Irishman, a 29-year-old prisoner described as having “complex psycho-social issues,” vomited for four hours prior to his visit at the Adelaide and Meath Hospital’s emergency room in Dublin. The vomiting, as doctors would find out, was caused by the patient swallowing a phone, so they decided to let the phone pass through his digestive system and out the other end.

After 18 hours of waiting, however, nature didn’t take its course, so doctors prepped for surgery. At this point, the question became what kind of surgery they would need to do on the patient. The first option, a minimally invasive operation, involved getting the phone out through the use of retrieval tools that would go down the esophagus. The second option involved making incisions in the abdominal wall and, through the use of forceps, forcing the phone out.

X-ray of phone in abdomen

Given the invasive nature of the latter option, doctors proceeded with the former. However, because they could not get the phone properly aligned, and because forcing the misaligned phone out would damage the esophagus, doctors then elected to move forward with the second option, which proved successful.

After the procedure, the patient remained in the hospital for around six days, mostly as a precautionary measure to make sure any issues that might crop up would be dealt with then and there. Thankfully for the patient, no issues cropped up and he was discharged after a psychiatric evaluation.

As for why the patient swallowed the phone in the first place, there isn’t much of an answer. However, the report did recommend that the medical field improve upon current endoscopic retrieval devices. It’s because the retrieval tool failed to properly align the phone that doctors had to perform a more significant surgical procedure, though we wouldn’t be here in the first place if the patient didn’t somehow think the phone was some kind of a yummy snack.

Editors' Recommendations

Williams Pelegrin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…
Best Google Pixel 8 deals: Get the latest Pixel for free
The Google Pixel 8 on a table showing the screen.

We consider the Google Pixel 8 to be one of the best phones on the market, and find it to be one of the better value phones you’ll come across. This is in part because it has a wide range of features and in part because it almost always makes for some of the best phone deals you can shop. Right now there are a number of ways to save on a Google Pixel 8. They’re spread across various retailers and carriers, so we’ve done the heavy lifting of rounding up the best Google Pixel 8 deals below. If you’re looking for some great value but aren’t sold on a Pixel 8, you can also take a look at the current Samsung Galaxy S24 deals and iPhone 15 deals, as well as previous generations such as Samsung Galaxy S23 deals and iPhone 14 deals.
Today's best Google Pixel 8 deals
There are some great Google Pixel 8 deals around including direct discounts when you buy the phone unlocked and trade-in deals for anyone who wants to commit to a specific cell phone provider. With such versatility, there should be something for everyone here. Take a look below to find the best Google Pixel 8 deal for your situation.

Google:
Amazon: , which is $220 less than a new model.
Verizon: with an eligible trade-in over 36 months.
T-Mobile: with a new line of service and a Go5G Plus or Go5G Next rate plan.
Spectrum:

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 15 Plus
A person holding the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The iPhone 15 Plus has all the features that people love in an iPhone 15, but with a larger screen. However, there might be some reasons why you may not want to purchase it — such as its price and the fact that it lacks some features compared to the iPhone 15 Pro series.

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy S23 deals from every carrier
Someone holding the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with the display turned on.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 has been one of the most popular smartphones on the market for several years, and while the more recent release of the Galaxy S24 has knocked it from flagship status, it’s still one of Samsung’s best phones. It also regularly makes for some of the best phone deals to shop, as it’s seeing frequent price drops now that it’s considered a generation older. We’ve rounded up all of the best Samsung Galaxy S23 deals out there. You can read onward for all of the details on how to save, or if you’re looking for similar phone deals you can also check out what the current Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, Google Pixel 8 deals, and iPhone deals have to offer.
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy S23 deals

Samsung: when you trade-in an eligible device.
Best Buy: plus additional savings when you trade in a similar device.
Verizon: when you add a new line with Verizon Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan.
T-Mobile: with trade-in or new line on the on Go5G Plus or Go5G Next plans.
AT&T: when you trade-in an eligible device.

Read more