Even if it sounds like an urban legend, hospitals see plenty of cases where people end up with objects stuck in the rectum. Reports suggest nearly 4,000 people in the US are hospitalised each year for this, and similar incidents have cost the UK’s NHS more than £3 million.
For 2025, a US government database of emergency-room reports—reviewed by Defector using U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission records—highlighted 25 of the most unusual items removed by clinicians. Medical research has also linked rectal foreign bodies to tens of thousands of hospital visits annually, with many cases involving middle-aged men and often sex toys. Doctors say delays can happen when people try to fix the problem themselves, sometimes using risky “tools” that make injuries more likely.
Here are the 25 standout objects (excluding sex toys):
- Screws and nails
- Dog chew toy
- Beard clippers (in a plastic bag)
- Baton
- Turkey baster
- Shampoo bottle
- Dental pick
- Wine stopper
- Corn cob holder
- Highlighter
- “Magic wand” toy
- Marbles
- Film canister
- Sandal
- Doorknob
- Lightbulb
- Flashlight
- Vape pen
- Two pencils
- Corncob-style pipe
- Uncooked pasta
- Piece of nose-hair trimmer
- Glasses
- Egg
- Rectangular travel toothbrush holder
Clinicians stress the point isn’t shame—it’s safety. If something goes wrong, get medical help rather than attempting removal with improvised tools.
