AsiaWireA teenage boy had to have 29 magnetic balls surgically removed from his bladder, three months after putting them up his penis.
The 13-year-old boy, known only as Li, was understandably in agony after the balls displaced, but was too embarrassed to tell his parents about what he’d done.
However, three months later, the pain became too unbearable to for Li, and his parents noticed he was walking with a limp as a result of the abdominal pain he was suffering, and forced him to get medical attention.
AsiaWireLi was treated at Xi’an Children’s Hospital in north west China on May 11, where X-rays revealed the small magnetic beads had gathered together to create a cluster in his bladder.
Because of the size of the cluster, Li had to go under the knife in order to remove them, which is a lesson to be learned for us all.
Zhang Yanyan, a urologist at Xi’an Children’s Hospital, said:
Roughly three months ago, while the boy was playing with the magnetic balls, he lined them up in a row and inserted them up his urethra out of curiosity.
By the time he felt discomfort and tried to pull them out again, the magnets separated and some remained inside his urethra.
During this time, the boy didn’t tell his parents because he was too embarrassed, but the child admitted to experiencing abdominal pains for three months.
AsiaWireThe boy had hoped the magnetic balls would come out naturally, however he was unaware of the fact they had already travelled into his bladder.
Dr Zhang added:
He thought he could expel through urinating, not knowing that it would not have been possible to do so.
His parents only discovered three months later when they noticed him walking with a limp and questioned him about it.
We were unable to remove them in microsurgery, so we opened up his bladder and removed the entire cluster of magnetic balls – all 29 of them.
AsiaWireLi is recovering well after surgery and has been discharged so he can continue his recovery in his own home.
Dr Zhang continued:
Kids in puberty are curious about their bodies. They need proper guidance and education from their parents.
We’re inclined to agree, Dr Zhang. Perhaps they should tell this story in sex education in schools – that ought to teach a lesson or two to ‘curious’ teens.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected].
Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.