Surgeons at Hatyai Hospital in Songkhla removed a 10-12 centimetre stone-like mass from a 47-year-old woman's body after she endured three years of chronic pelvic pain, which she attributed to a ritual undergone in Indonesia years earlier.
SONGKHLA — On 2 July 2026, doctors at Hatyai Hospital successfully removed a large stone-like mass from a 47-year-old woman who had endured chronic pelvic pain for three years. The patient attributed the unusual case to a ritual she underwent in Indonesia years earlier.
Dr. Sunthorn Srisuwan, an associate professor of orthopaedics at Hatyai Hospital in Songkhla province, documented the case on his Facebook page under the title "Sorcery vs. Medical Science and Nursing Science at Hatyai Regional Hospital."
The patient had experienced chronic lower abdominal pain for three years, along with pelvic pressure while urinating and abnormal vaginal discharge. She initially sought treatment at a provincial hospital before undergoing a computed tomography (CT) scan for further investigation.
The scan revealed a foreign object measuring approximately 10 to 12 centimetres inside her vaginal canal. The irregularly shaped mass contained a horseshoe-like internal structure, prompting doctors to refer her to Hatyai Hospital.
A gynaecological oncology team led by Dr. Khosit Tantinam and Dr. Atcharawadee Poolsawat examined the patient and found that the mass was extremely hard, resembling stone. They consulted the orthopaedic department to determine the safest removal approach.
Inside the operating theatre, doctors initially planned to chip away at the mass and remove it through the vaginal canal. However, after assessing its size, shape and hardness, they concluded that approach would be impossible and could leave fragments behind. The teams decided that a laparotomy, or abdominal surgery, would provide a much safer approach.
During the operation, the gynaecology team performed a hysterectomy, partially opened the vaginal canal and carefully dissected dense scar tissue through both the vaginal route and the retroperitoneal space behind the abdominal cavity. Because the area is surrounded by the bowel, ureters and other vital organs, the procedure carried significant risks.
The orthopaedic team used specialised instruments to separate scar tissue from the stone-like mass from below, while the gynaecologists created space from above by clearing adhesions within the pelvic cavity. Working together, the multidisciplinary team eventually succeeded in removing the object intact.
Dr. Sunthorn said freeing the mass proved exceptionally difficult. As it was finally about to come loose, members of the surgical team jokingly asked permission from "the unseen" before continuing. Moments later, the object was successfully extracted.
According to the patient, she had lived in Indonesia several years ago and underwent what she described as a ritual performed by a spiritual practitioner, during which an object was allegedly inserted into her vaginal canal. Because the event occurred many years ago, she said she could no longer recall the specific details.