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Lima Surgeons Save 6-Year-Old After Button Battery Perforates Intestine

EsSalud warns that coin cells can burn tissue within hours and urges parents to seek immediate care for suspected ingestion.

Overview

  • A watch battery the child accidentally swallowed lodged in her small intestine and caused a perforation, prompting emergency care at Hospital Nacional Alberto Sabogal Sologuren in Lima.
  • An initial colonoscopy failed to locate the foreign body, so the team proceeded with an urgent exploratory laparoscopy.
  • Surgeons removed roughly 14 centimeters of small intestine and performed an anastomosis during a procedure lasting about three and a half hours.
  • The battery was trapped in a Meckel's diverticulum, a congenital pouch that increased the risk of localized injury.
  • After about a week of hospitalization the girl is stable and eating normally, as clinicians issue prevention guidance to keep small batteries away from children and to avoid home remedies.