Saudi Arabia: 21 magnetic balls removed from 3-year-old boy's stomach

Dubai: A Saudi medical team at Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital in Riyadh extracted 21 magnetic balls from the stomach of a three-year-old boy who swallowed them while playing, local media reported.

The boy arrived at the emergency department in a critical condition suffering severe abdominal pain and vomiting.

The team of surgeons conducted several medical examinations, X-rays and CT scans that showed the presence of 21 magnetic pieces in the boy’s stomach, causing 6 holes and damage to part of his intestines.

Dr. Sami Al Hawasi, assistant medical director and consultant general surgeon at the hospital, said: "A pediatric surgery team decided to intervene quickly to prevent any new complications and save the boy’s life.

“The team performed a two-hour surgical endoscopy and managed to remove the magnetic pieces from the boy’s stomach.” Dr. Al Hawasi said.

During the surgery, doctors treated the holes and removed the damaged part of the toddler’s intestines,” he added.

The boy was discharged three days after the surgery without complications.