Egyptian doctors save 13-year-old girl after swallowing 14 magnets

Dubai: A team of Egyptian paediatric surgeons has saved a 13-year-old girl who swallowed 14 small magnets, causing symptoms of intestinal obstruction, in a delicate procedure that avoided the need to cut open her intestines.

Doctors at Kafr El Sheikh General Hospital successfully removed the remaining magnets through a minimally invasive surgical intervention after an earlier endoscopic procedure retrieved five of the objects, according to local media reports.

The girl initially underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy through her mouth, allowing doctors to extract five magnets. However, the remaining objects could not be reached, prompting her urgent transfer to hospital.

After she developed symptoms suggesting intestinal obstruction, the surgical team decided to intervene immediately to prevent potentially life-threatening complications.

Surgeons examined the intestines through a small incision and managed to extract nine remaining magnets through the anus without opening the intestinal wall, minimising the risks associated with more extensive surgery.

The girl recovered well and was discharged from hospital in good health following the successful procedure.

Why swallowing magnets is dangerous

Medical experts warn that swallowing multiple magnets can cause serious internal injuries, particularly when the objects become lodged in different sections of the digestive tract.

The magnets can attract one another through intestinal walls, trapping tissue between them and potentially causing obstruction, tissue damage or perforation. Such complications may develop even before obvious symptoms appear.

Doctors advise parents to seek immediate emergency medical attention if a child is suspected of swallowing multiple magnets, even if the child appears well.

Parents should not wait for abdominal pain, vomiting or swelling to develop, nor attempt to induce vomiting or remove the objects using home remedies.