Hairy business as doctors remove 2½lb hairball from girl’s stomach

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The hairball was weighing a massive 2½lbs

The giant one-yard-long hairball, which weighed was removed from an 18-year-old patient.

Doctors removed the growth from the teenager's stomach after she arrived at a local government hospital complaining of discomfort and a severe abdominal pain.

The doctors said the hairball was entangled to the intestines – which had left her unable to eat or even drink water. Dr Iqbal Saleem, who led the team of surgeons which carried out the procedure, said:

"The hairball must have been there for at least two years. We removed the entire bunch of hair through laparoscopic surgery.

"We used laparoscopy so that the girl was not left with any scars around her abdomen. It was the biggest hairball removed without a general surgery."

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The giant one-yard-long hairball, which weighed was removed from an 18-year-old patient

The family of the girl revealed that the teenager had been eating hair and was addicted. But no one found out until she complained of a severe stomach ache.

The hair chewing condition known as Rapunzel syndrome, is a rare condition in which a hairball (called a trichobezoar) is found in the stomach, with its tail in the colon.

Despite a successful surgery, doctors are worried that the girl might start eating hair again.

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The teen was complaining of discomfort and a severe abdominal pain

Dr Saleem said: "Before and after the surgery, we psychologically counselled the girl and it would continue for a few weeks so that she completely stops chewing her hair."

The girl has now been able to eat meals properly. She will go home with her parents after two days of observation in the hospital and has promised to stop chewing on her hair even when no one's watching.

Original Article