In Lutsk, a 700-gram hairball was removed from a child's stomach: how it happened.

According to ТСН: In Lutsk, doctors removed a trichobezoar - a foreign body made of hair, mucus, and food - from the stomach of a 7-year-old girl. It occupied a third of the organ and weighed 700 grams.

Operation

The procedure was performed by pediatric surgeons Vasyl Demchuk, Oksana Trochymuk, and endoscopist Julia Artyshuk. The operation was performed endoscopically under general anesthesia and lasted about 3.5 hours. The trichobezoar was able to be divided into fragments and removed gradually.

“The procedure was performed under general anesthesia and lasted about 3.5 hours. The trichobezoar occupied a third of the stomach and was not solid yet, so we could divide it into fragments and remove it step by step. It weighed 700 grams,” reported the medical director for surgical work Igor Dorodnykh.

Reasons for the doctor visit

The girl's parents sought medical help due to their daughter's loss of appetite and digestive issues. Ultrasound doctor Larysa Lyashenko made the preliminary diagnosis of “trichobezoar,” which was confirmed by the results of a fibrogastroscopy.

“A trichobezoar can form over several months to years, even over a decade. In the early stages, the foreign body in the stomach manifests through loss of appetite, heartburn, a bad smell from the mouth, and belching. In severe cases, a trichobezoar can even lead to an intestinal obstruction,” noted Igor Dorodnykh.

Causes of trichobezoar occurrence

The occurrence of trichobezoars can be associated with the accidental swallowing of hair (trichophagia) or hair pulling (trichotillomania). These actions can be triggered by psychological problems, stress, or obsessive disorders.

Previous treatment

The Volhynia Regional Children's Hospital had experience in removing trichobezoars as early as 2021 when the case was more complicated: the trichobezoar completely filled the stomach, and its “tail” was in the intestine.

“The child could not eat at all, had lost weight and was suffering from constant vomiting as the food did not reach the stomach and got stuck in the esophagus. The trichobezoar was as hard as a rock, so the stomach had to be cut open to remove it,” Igor Dorodnykh added.

Uniqueness of the case

The removed trichobezoar is a rare case and is also known as the “Rapunzel syndrome.”

The situation with the trichobezoar in Lutsk has attracted significant attention. Generally, little is known about similar issues, but this case draws attention to the importance of timely consultation with doctors for abnormal symptoms. The experience of the doctors at the Volhynia Regional Children's Hospital in removing trichobezoars underscores the importance of parents' knowledge about such medical problems.