Nhat had undergone an ultrasound scan Dec. 27 in an attempt to identify the cause of his abdominal pains and subsequent X-rays identified the cause as a pair of surgical scissors that had partially broken inside his body.
The patient said the scissors were apparently left inside him when he underwent surgery at Bac Kan Provincial Hospital after a road accident in 1998.
The 6-inch-long scissors were removed successfully and doctors said Nhat is expected to be discharged in about 10 days.
Trinh Thi Luong, director of Bac Kan Provincial Hospital, said officials are trying to determine who performed Nhat's surgery in 1998.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Health instructed Bac Kan to submit a report on the incident by Jan. 6.
