A surgeon removed a knife from a man's head after 26 years.
Knife
The patient - known as Mr. Duorijie - had the four-inch blade embedded in his head since he was violently mugged in 1994, and the knife had been kept in place as it was believed to pose a threat to his life if he had it removed.
The weapon was finally removed at Shandong Qianfoshan Hospital in China, which described the treatment as a ''miracle''. The case had been drawn to the attention of medics who were touring the Chinese countryside.
Dr. Zhang Shuxiang - one of the medics who discovered Mr. Duorijie's case - said: ''When we found him while on a medical tour of Qinghai, we learned that experts had decided on more conservative treatment, prescribing only painkillers.
''But his symptoms became increasingly severe and unbearable. Due to the limitations of local hospitals, we decided to bring him to Shandong for the best possible treatment.''