Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
These images show magnetic bead toys removed from a young boy’s intestines after he swallowed more than 60 of the trinkets without telling his parents.
The six-year-old from the city of Harbin, capital of north-eastern China’s Heilongjiang Province, was taken to hospital with intense stomach pains on 14th August.
Paediatrician Xu Bo was given his case and found the cluster of metallic beads lighting up brightly in X-ray scans, initially mistaking them for a necklace.
Pictures Credit: AsiaWire
The boy later revealed he had swallowed the toys known as ‘Buckyballs’ after his mum bought him a set containing 64 to play with.
Doctor Xu said: “Two days before the surgery, the boy swallowed what we later discovered to be 61 magnetic beads. His parents weren’t aware.
“After ingesting the balls, he didn’t experience any adverse effects until about six hours before he was admitted to hospital.
“In scans we found a cluster of high-density shadows. It looked like a necklace.
“I asked him whether he had ever swallowed magnetic balls, and he said yes.
“His mum bought him a set of 64 Buckyballs. The boy said he ate them.”
Surgery to remove the magnetic beads from the child’s intestines lasted three hours and involved removing sections of his small intestine and appendix.
The boy is in a stable condition following his operation.
Doctor Xu said: “Had he not been treated in time, these magnetic beads could’ve ruptured his intestine, causing necrosis and shock, putting his life in real danger.”
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