Brief
Nine‑year‑old undergoes rare surgery to remove 1 kg hairball in Kerala
Doctors at NIMS Medicity in Neyyattinkara performed a complex operation to extract a one‑kilogram hair mass from a nine‑year‑old girl diagnosed with Rapunzel syndrome.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Doctors at NIMS Medicity in Neyyattinkara, near Thiruvananthapuram, removed a one‑kilogram hair mass from the stomach and small intestine of a nine‑year‑old girl on Saturday, according to a hospital statement.
The child was admitted with persistent abdominal pain and vomiting. Ultrasound and CT scans showed severe intestinal obstruction, and an endoscopy confirmed a large trichobezoar. Senior paediatric surgeon Dr Biju I G Nair led the complex surgery that fully extracted the hairball.
Dr Nair explained that a trichobezoar forms when hair is repeatedly swallowed and cannot be digested, eventually causing obstruction. The girl recovered well, resumed normal eating and was discharged. Hospital officials note fewer than 100 cases of Rapunzel syndrome have been reported worldwide.
Key facts
- A one‑kilogram hairball was removed from a nine‑year‑old girl’s stomach and intestine. (deccanchronicle.com)
- The surgery was performed at NIMS Medicity in Neyyattinkara, Kerala. (deccanchronicle.com)
- Doctors diagnosed the condition as Rapunzel syndrome, a rare form of trichobezoar. (deccanchronicle.com)
- Fewer than 100 cases of Rapunzel syndrome have been reported worldwide. (deccanchronicle.com)
Sources
- [1] deccanchronicle.com — originally reported as “Keralam: 1 Kg Hair Mass Removed From Girl's Stomach And Intestine”
