12-year-old undergoes emergency surgery after swallowing magnetic balls

A 12-year-old boy from northern Israel underwent emergency surgery at Bnei Zion Medical Center in Haifa last week after swallowing eight small magnetic balls—an incident doctors warn could have turned deadly, according to the Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL).

The child arrived at the hospital suffering from persistent abdominal pain and repeated vomiting. When his symptoms failed to improve, doctors at the pediatric surgery department admitted him for observation.

Only later did a crucial detail come to light. While speaking with a friend by phone during his hospital stay, the boy recalled having played with small magnetic balls in the days before falling ill — and admitted to swallowing them. Shockingly, he said he repeated the act the following day.

Once informed, the hospital staff moved swiftly. “Upon learning of the new detail, the medical team at the Pediatric Surgery Department acted quickly,” said Bnei Zion Pediatric Department Director Dr. Lili Hayari. “The child was rushed for emergency surgery, in view of the serious danger arising from swallowing magnets.”

Unlike other small objects like coins — which typically pass through the digestive system without serious harm — magnets can attract each other through the walls of the intestines. When two or more magnets are swallowed at different times or become separated in the digestive tract, they can snap together across loops of bowel. This force can trap tissue between them, cutting off blood flow and causing serious damage. Because of the risks, medical professionals treat multiple magnet ingestion as a surgical emergency.

The complex procedure was led by Dr. Daniel Dovin, a specialist in minimally invasive pediatric surgery, and pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Nermin Shehadeh.

“Using a laparoscopic approach under general anesthesia, eight small magnetic balls were removed from the child’s digestive system,” said Hayari. “The surgery was successful, and the child was discharged home healthy.”

Medical staff say the timing was critical. “This is a case that illustrates how small magnets, which seemingly look like an innocent toy, can quickly become a real medical danger,” Hayari stressed. “In this case, we acted in time, but there are not always early signs. We call on parents and educators to be vigilant, to keep the magnets out of reach of children, and to seek immediate medical attention in the event of suspected swallowing.”

The boy was released from the hospital yesterday after four days of care.

Doctors warn that with summer vacation underway, the risks of unsupervised and dangerous games are rising. “Vigilance and prevention of dangerous games are the most effective way to save lives,” the hospital said.