Cornwall, England: A British man had to undergo an open-heart surgery as a piece of popcorn stuck in his teeth caused a life-threatening infection after he tried to dislodge the popcorn out of his teeth using a variety of tools.
Adam Martin, 41, had the piece of popcorn stuck in his back tooth in September which remained there for three days.
Meanwhile, Martin used a pen lid, toothpick, piece of wire and even a metal nail to try to get it out, thereby damaging his gums.
It led to a gum infection that eventually developed into an infection of the heart called endocarditis, which is caused by bacteria spreading through the bloodstream.
As Martin began experiencing night sweats, fatigue and headaches after a week, he went to a hospital, where doctors found his heart was damaged due to the infection, Fox News reported.
Doctors performed an operation to remove an infected blood clot from his leg and another seven-hour surgery to replace a valve in his heart.
Martin is said to have told, “I am never eating popcorn again that’s for sure.”