In Almaty, a five-year-old child swallowed three magnets, leading to a rare and dangerous complication that required surgical intervention, reports infohub.kz.
According to the press service of the Children's City Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Almaty, the child was successfully operated on. The magnets had remained in the gastrointestinal tract for a long time. Due to strong magnetic attraction through the walls of organs, one magnet in the stomach and two in the small intestine attracted each other.
During the operation, surgeons discovered an extremely rare complication: a pathological connection, a so-called magnetic fistula, had formed between the stomach and the small intestine. Constant pressure led to pressure sores and tissue damage.
The operating surgeon, Deputy Director of the hospital, Marat Kaptagaev, said that the operation began laparoscopically, but after identifying the nature of the damage, the surgeons switched to open surgery for the child's safety. "The fistula was eliminated, all three magnets were removed, and the damaged tissue areas were excised and sutured. The abdominal cavity was sanitized and drained. The operation was successful. After treatment, the child's condition improved. At discharge, he felt satisfactory, and the postoperative wounds showed no signs of inflammation," the surgeon noted.
The hospital reminded that small magnetic toys can be dangerous for children. "When several magnets are swallowed, they can attract each other through the walls of different parts of the gastrointestinal tract, causing pressure sores, perforations, fistulas, intestinal obstruction, and peritonitis. Therefore, we urge parents to seek medical help immediately if they suspect a child has swallowed a magnet. Timely intervention can prevent severe, life-threatening complications," said the hospital's director, Marat Rabandiyarov.