A 26-year-old man with a psychiatric illness made headlines after he swallowed 39 coins and 37 magnets under the misconception that zinc helps in bodybuilding. The unusual case was reported at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, where the patient was admitted to the emergency ward due to vomiting and abdominal pain for the past 20 days. His inability to consume any food further heightened the alarm. The man’s relatives then made a shocking revelation about his habit of ingesting magnets and coins over the past few weeks.
An X-ray revealed radio-opaque shadows in the shape of coins and magnets, doctors then conducted a CT scan and confirmed he had intestinal blockage. Taking quick action, the medical team at the hospital immediately prepared for an emergency surgery.
The unnamed individual with a history of schizophrenia, was discharged from the hospital seven days after he recovered from surgery and fortunately, he is now in stable condition.
Meanwhile, Dr Tarun Mittal, a senior consultant in laparoscopic, laser and general surgery, explained the case to Times of India. He claimed that their team successfully removed 39 coins of Rs 1, 2 and 5 denominations, along with 37 magnets in various shapes such as hearts, spheres, stars, bullets and triangles. As per the doctor, the patient shared that he believed zinc, present in coins, might help him build muscles. Additionally, he thought the magnets would keep the coins in the intestine and help in zinc absorption.
Warning others about the side effects of such habits, Dr Mittal said, “I would like to inform people that ingestion of these foreign bodies can be life-threatening and should not be done.” During the surgery, the medical team discovered that the objects were stuck in two separate loops of the small intestine. The doctor explained, “The intestines were opened and the coins and magnets were taken out. Both the loops were rejoined by two different anastomoses. We took an operative X-ray which showed all foreign bodies had been removed.”
The surgery, which lasted for nearly two hours, was conducted by a dedicated team of doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. The skilled team included Dr Tarun Mittal, along with consultants Dr Ashish Dey and Dr Anmol Ahuja, supported by clinical assistant Dr Vikram Singh and resident doctors Dr Tanushree and Dr Karthik.
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