WATCH: Tapeworm 'still wriggling' as it is removed from man's BRAIN
A YOUNG man was given 30 minutes to live when doctors discovered a tapeworm living inside his head.
Live Tapeworm Pulled Out of Man’s Brain
Luis Ortiz had been experiencing mild head pains but ignored them until he blacked out from the ‘worst headache’ of his life.
The 26-year-old student from California was immediately rushed to hospital.
Doctors at Queen of the Valley Medical Centre conducted scans and found the alarming source of pain.
Luis had a tapeworm living inside his brain.
The tapeworm was 'still wriggling' when it was removed from Luis Ortiz's brain
The young man was told he had about 30 minutes to live.
Luis needed immediate brain surgery to remove the parasite from his head.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Soren Singel performed the complicated procedure.
Dr. Soren said: “It was a close call,” and Luis was lucky he didn’t wait any longer to go to hospital.
It is likely Luis caught the tapeworm from eating infected pork, beef or fish
To perform the surgery, Luis was put into a coma.
A camera was then inserted into his head, which lead doctors to discover a sac of larvae from the tapeworm inside the brain.
Luis said: “The doctor pulled it out and said it was still wiggling.
“What are the odds I’d get a parasite in my head?”
Doctors inserted a camera into Luis's brain to discover larvae from the tapeworm
It’s not known for sure how Luis caught the tapeworm, but it likely came from eating infected pork, beef or fish.
Luis has since been released from hospital but he is yet to fully recover.
He said: “My memory is like a work in progress… It gets better from therapy.”