Treating Intestinal Obstruction Due to Multiple Bezoars in a Young Woman

A 16-year-old girl came to the emergency of Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, with complaints of pain and distension of the abdomen with multiple episodes of vomiting over the last three days. She was initially admitted to another hospital for three days and investigated for the cause of intestinal obstruction. The CT scan suggested intestinal obstruction due to large bezoars in the stomach and small intestine.

She was immediately shifted to Max Smart Hospital, Saket, for further management of her condition. Trichobezor, a rare disorder, was identified in the patient who consumed some vegetable matter or hairs unknowingly over a period of time. Patient history revealed her habit of plucking hair and consuming them. She also underwent therapy/counselling session in the past for overcoming the issue. She was taken to the
operation theatre for emergency surgery.

During surgery, one large trichobezoar was extracted from her occupying the whole stomach. Two smaller trichobezoars were extracted from the small intestine causing a luminal obstruction. 

She was managed by the surgical team in the surgical ICU and was shifted to the ward in a stable condition. Post-operatively, she had a delayed recovery due to fever from a wound infection. She was discharged with instructions for a close follow-up.

It is pertinent to note that very few cases of trichobezoars are reported in the literature which obstruct the intestines and for which surgical removal has been done. The state-of- the-art health facility and the infrastructure support provided by the hospital enabled the doctors to give the best possible treatment to the patient regarding her rare diagnosis, and the doctors could ensure that she was relieved of her problems before they sent her home.