Florida man’s colon EXPLODES after coughing and sneezing at the same time in a diner – causing his intestines to fall out of his body

A 63-year-old man from Florida endured a frightening medical crisis during breakfast when a simultaneous cough and sneeze caused his recent surgical incision to reopen, pushing part of his intestines outside his abdomen.

He had undergone abdominal surgery two weeks earlier while recovering from prostate cancer. That same morning, doctors examined the incision and determined it had healed enough for his stitches to be removed.

Soon after arriving at a diner to celebrate, he suddenly felt moisture on his stomach followed by intense pain. Lifting his shirt, he discovered several inches of bowel protruding from the surgical site.

His wife quickly called 911. When paramedics reached him, they found a three-inch opening with visible loops of intestine—a condition known as abdominal evisceration, which occurs when an incision ruptures and internal organs slip through.

Although the responding paramedic had never encountered such a case, she knew the exposed tissue had to remain moist. She covered the organs with sterile saline dressings and secured the area before transporting him urgently to the hospital.

Surgeons were able to place the bowel back into the abdominal cavity and reinforced the wound using layered sutures and surgical staples. The man remained hospitalized for six days and recovered without further issues.

Wound dehiscence occurs in up to 3% of abdominal surgery patients, especially older adults, and sudden pressure from coughing is a major trigger. Doctors hope this unusual case raises awareness about this serious postoperative complication.