Quang Ngai: 0.5kg hair ball removed from stomach of 6-year-old patient

On the morning of December 9, doctors from the Department of Surgery in collaboration with the Department of Surgery, Anesthesia and Resuscitation (Quang Ngai Province Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital) successfully performed surgery to remove a 0.5 kg hairball from the stomach of a 6-year-old patient.

Previously, the patient was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain. Through ultrasound and examination, the doctor discovered that the patient's stomach was full of hair-like foreign objects. The patient was prescribed a digestive endoscopy under anesthesia, and the result was that the hairball occupied the entire stomach.

Surgery to remove foreign object from stomach of 6-year-old patient

Immediately after the consultation, the surgical team opened the stomach to remove the foreign object. The doctors removed a very large, tightly twisted hairball, occupying the entire stomach of the child, weighing about 0.5 kg.

According to doctors, this case was determined to be related to Rapunzel Syndrome - a rare psychological disorder that causes patients to pull out and eat their hair. The syndrome is common in girls, especially those before entering first grade. Although the patient can still eat and drink normally, prolonged hair swallowing will lead to reflux, intestinal obstruction, stomach ulcers, and even life-threatening.

Previously, on March 12, the Quang Ngai Province Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital also performed surgery to remove a hairball weighing nearly 1kg from the stomach of a 12-year-old girl in Quang Ngai.

NGUYEN TRANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/quang-ngai-lay-bui-toc-nang-05kg-trong-da-day-benh-nhi-6-tuoi-post827676.html