Baffled doctors were forced to invent a lasso-like tool to remove a 23-inch (60cm) dildo firmly lodged inside a man.
The concerned 31-year-old, from
Italy, went to hospital after he couldn't remove the massive sex toy, which had been stuck for 24 hours.
Medics in Milan were unable to get the rubber dildo out using standard methods, complaining it was too big and smooth.
After scratching their heads, the team crafted a new tool that worked like a lasso to catch the end of the dildo and drag it out, which proved successful.
The patient visited the emergency unit of the ASST Great Metropolitan Hospital in Niguarda, a district of Milan.
He told medics he had placed the dildo into his rectum the day before, and said it was 'not removable by hand'.
Upon questioning, he admitted he was suffering mild abdominal pain - but had no other worrying symptoms.
An X-ray revealed a 23 inch (60cm) object in his colon, according to the bizarre tale published in
BMJ Case Reports.
The patient was allowed home on the same day of the procedure. He reported no lasting symptoms a month later.
He wrote a thank you note for the consultants for solving his 'embarrassing problem' without having to resort to surgery.