Doctors in Brazil have removed four needles from the lung and near the heart of a boy who was reportedly subjected to black magic.
A hospital spokeswoman said the boy, 2, was in a stable condition but more operations would be needed to remove dozens more needles still inside him.
The four needles removed were thought to be the most threatening to his life.
His stepfather confessed to inserting the needles after being advised to perform a ritual killing.
The surgery lasted nearly five hours, said Susy Moreno, a spokeswoman for the hospital in the north-eastern city of Salvador where the boy is in intensive care.
"He's okay, the surgery was a success, he's doing fine," she told The Associated Press by telephone.
Earlier, the hospital said one needle had punctured the boy's heart, two were near the heart and a fourth was inside a lung.
Doctors had warned there was a further risk of infection and the operation itself could pose a risk of death.