11-Year-Old Chinese Boy Swallows 100g Gold Bar, Undergoes Emergency Surgery
After swallowing the gold bar, the boy informed his parents that he felt a slight swelling in his abdomen.
In a bizarre and alarming incident, an 11-year-old boy from China’s Jiangsu province had to undergo surgery after swallowing a 100-gram gold bar while playing at home. The boy, surnamed Qian, alerted his parents after noticing a swelling in his abdomen. Although he didn’t report any pain or discomfort, the unusual bloating prompted his family to rush him to the Suzhou University Affiliated Children’s Hospital.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, doctors conducted an X-ray and discovered a heavy metallic object lodged in the boy’s intestines. Further examination confirmed that the object was a solid gold bar weighing around 100 grams.
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Initially, the medical team tried to avoid surgery by giving him medication in the hope that the gold bar would pass naturally through his digestive system. However, two days later, a follow-up scan revealed that the gold bar had not moved at all. This raised concerns about a possible intestinal blockage or internal damage.
Given the risk, doctors decided to perform an endoscopic surgery to extract the bar. The operation was carried out by two surgeons and took just 30 minutes. Thankfully, the procedure was successful, and the gold bar was removed without complications.
After the surgery, Qian was able to return to his normal diet within two days. The doctors later confirmed that the object had not caused any long-term damage to his digestive system. He was discharged from the hospital shortly afterward.
This is not the first time doctors in China have dealt with a child swallowing an unusual object. In 2023, a four-year-old boy was found to have ingested a bracelet made up of 18 magnetic beads. Initially thought to be suffering from appendicitis, an ultrasound later revealed the beads trapped in his abdominal cavity.
Doctors advise parents to closely monitor children at home and keep small or hazardous objects out of their reach to avoid such incidents.
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