Calif. man tries to remove hernia with butter knife

By Michael Winter, USA TODAY

A 63-year-old man is in a Los Angeles hospital after sticking a butter knife in his stomach in an apparent effort to remove a protruding hernia, according to news reports.

Police officers found the man Sunday evening naked on a backyard lounge chair with a six-inch-knife handle sticking out of his stomach,the Glendale News-Press says. He had complained to his wife about the hernia.

"Out of frustration, he tried to cut it out," said Sgt. Tom Lorenz.

Before paramedics arrived, the man pulled out the knife and stuck a cigarette he was smoking into the wound. But he wasn't screaming or showing any signs of pain, Lornez told the Associated Press.

The man was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment and placed on a 72-hour "psychiatric hold" for evaluation. He was reported in stable condition.