A 55-year-old Costa Rican man who had to have an 18-inch long yuca (also known as cassava root) removed from his anal cavity in an emergency surgery at Costa Rica’s public San Juan de Dios Hospital in the capital San Jose could potentially file a lawsuit against Costa Rica’s public health and social security system, known as CCSS or ‘La Caja,’ after medical staff filmed the more than one-hour procedure on a cell phone and disseminated the video online without the patient’s knowledge or approval.

The man had carved the root, which was approximately 18 inches long with a girth of more than 3 inches, into a phallic shape, wrapped it in two condoms and used it as a sex toy, until one of the condoms burst and the tuber, which generally has a rough exterior somewhat similar to tree bark, became stuck in his anal cavity. As the condom had ripped, this put the man at risk of perforating his intestines and infection, and emergency surgery was performed.

The emergency surgery to remove the yuca took more than an hour and involved at least seven surgeons, doctors and medical specialists.

The incident reportedly occurred on March 24th, during the Holy Week holiday.

The video was later discovered by the local tabloid daily, Diario Extra, which published a news story on Wednesday regarding the incident and included still images of the surgical procedure taken from the video.

The tabloid reported on Thursday that health officials have determined which surgical team member captured the video, and that discussions are underway to determine if the staff member will face disciplinary actions.

Under Costa Rican law, the filming of surgeries and medical procedures can only be performed for academic purposes and with the written permission of the patient.

According to the tabloid, the patient could potentially sue the public health system as well as the doctors and medical specialists involved.