Delhi man swallows 39 coins, 37 magnets for ’body-building’, removed by surgery

NEW DELHI: Doctors at Sir Gangaram Hospital have successfully removed 39 coins and 37 magnets from the intestine of a 26-year-old youth, a schizophrenia patient, who had swallowed them presuming zinc would help "build his body".

The patient, who lives in Delhi, was discharged from the hospital two days ago after a week of post-surgery hospitalisation. He is doing well now, according to doctors.

Senior consultant, laparoscopic, laser & general surgery, Dr Tarun Mittal, told TOI 39 coins of Rs 1, 2 and 5 denominations and 37 magnets of different shapes - heart, sphere, star, bullet and triangle - were removed during the surgery. 

When asked why had consumed them, the patient told the doctor he thought zinc, which is present in coins, helps in building the body. The magnet, he added, would ensure the coin stayed in the intestine and help absorb the zinc.

"I would like to inform people that ingestion of these foreign bodies can be life-threatening and should not be done," said Dr Mittal.

According to doctors, the patient came to the hospital's emergency room with a complaint of repeated vomiting and pain in the abdomen for more than 20 days. He was not able to eat anything. His relatives told the doctors he had consumed coins and magnets over the past 20-22 days. 

They provided an X-ray of his abdomen that showed radio opaque shadows with the shape of coins and magnets. Later, he underwent a CT scan too, which showed a huge load of coins and magnets, causing intestine blockage.

Dr Mittal said the patient was immediately prepared for surgery. During the operation, it was found the magnets and coins were present in the small intestine in two different loops. The magnetic effect pulled the two loops together and eroded it.

"The intestines were opened and the coins and magnets were taken out. Both the loops were rejoined by two different anastomoses," Dr Mittal said, adding that when the stomach was inspected, huge loads of coins and magnets were found there too. Then the stomach was opened and all the coins were extracted.

"We took an operative X-ray which showed all foreign bodies had been removed," said Dr Mittal.

The surgery, which lasted for nearly two hours, was performed by a team of doctors, including Dr Mittal,