1 - Cirurgia Pediátrica, Hospital Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, Lisboa
- Poster - XVI SPCMIN Congress
The accidental ingestion of small, powerful magnets by children has become a growing problem in Pediatric Surgery clinics. Swallowed magnets can lead to intestinal obstruction and perforation, many times leading to a surgical intervention. We present a case of a 9 years-old girl brought to our emergency department 6 hours after the ingestion of four magnets. The child was stable and had no systemic symptoms or abdominal complaints. The abdominal x-ray showed the presence of the magnets high in the digestive tract, with no signs of intestinal perforation. An upper digestive endoscopy was preformed, and no magnets were found on the stomach or till the third portion of the duodenum. Due to the risks associated with the permanence of the magnets in the digestive tract an exploratory laparoscopy was performed and the laparoscopic grasper was used to locate the magnets - since they are attracted by metallic objects. The intestinal loop was exteriorized through the umbilical port, a small enterectomy was performed and the magnets were successful removed. The child was discharged five days after the surgery with no peri-operative complications. Video-assisted removal has been offered as a safe and effective surgical intervention for the removal of the intra-luminal magnets that are not removable by endoscopic maneuvers. In conclusion, video-assisted approach seems to be a safe and reproducible method for the removal of ingested magnets in the pediatric population, reducing surgical associated morbidity in the pos-operative period.
Palavras Chave: Magnets ingestion, minimal invasive surgery