In a small town in northern Israel, a nine-year-old boy swallowed several magnets and was rushed to the emergency department of Aemek Hospital in Afula. Doctors were able to remove the magnets from his intestines using a colonoscopy. According to Dr. Sameh Tatur, the boy was in good condition upon arrival at the hospital and showed no symptoms like vomiting or pain.
During a fluoroscopy, doctors discovered several small magnets stuck together in a chain in the boy’s small intestine. The boy was hospitalized for observation, and it was determined that the magnets were stuck at the junction of his small intestine and colon. A colonoscopy was performed under general anesthesia to remove the magnets without the need for abdominal surgery. The boy recovered quickly and was discharged, with no lasting damage to his health.
Dr. Tatur warns that magnets are not toys and are unsafe for children to play with, as they can cause serious complications when swallowed. In the gastrointestinal tract, magnets can cause tissue compression, necrosis, and perforation of the intestine. This can lead to intestinal obstruction, intoxication, organ damage, and may require urgent surgery or even part of the intestine to be removed. Dr. Tatur advises parents to be cautious with magnetic toys, remove toys with magnetic parts from children’s reach
