Boy has 123 magnetic beads stuck in his stomach after 'eating the toy balls one after another while watching TV

A little boy in China has had 123 magnetic beads removed from his stomach after he swallowed them while watching TV.

The five-year-old is said to have been eating the toy balls one after another while being left home alone with his 12-year-old sister, according to reports.

Medics were shocked to discover the tiny beads all bundled up inside the child's body after his parents found out about the incident and took him for examination.

The five-year-old in China is said to have been eating the toy balls one after another while being left home alone with his 12-year-old sister, according to reports. Medics were shocked to discover the tiny beads all bundled up inside the child's body during an X-ray scan

The incident came to light after the boy's family took him to seek medical advice on Sunday at The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University in south-western China. A total of 123 magnetic beads were removed from the little patient's body after a four-hour surgery

The incident came to light after the boy's family took him to seek medical advice on Sunday at The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University in south-western China.

The child's father, Mr Wu, had gone to work with his wife that day, leaving his son and daughter home by themselves watching TV.

While concentrating on the television screen, the little boy picked up the toy balls next to him and swallowed them one after another, reported Guiyang Evening News.

His sister, who didn't notice his brother's action at first, was alerted when he started choking.

The boy was able to breathe again after his sibling rushed to feed him with water.

When his parents returned home, the youngster told them that he had only eaten one magnetic bead.

A little boy in China has had 123 magnetic beads removed from his stomach after he swallowed them while watching TV. He is recovering following a successful removal surgery

A total of 123 magnetic beads were removed from the little patient's body after a four-hour surgery. An image released by the local TV station shows a surgeon 'fishing out' the toys

The family immediately took their son to see a local doctor who told them that the toy ball would be excreted within a few days.

After almost a week with no excreted toy ball appearing, the worried parents decided to take the child to the provincial hospital.

Doctors were shocked to find a huge bundle of the tiny beads inside the boy's stomach during an X-ray scan.

The boy was immediately scheduled to undergo an emergency operation to remove the magnetic balls.

An image released by the local TV station shows a surgeon 'fishing out' the toys by using a net to scoop them up.

A total of 123 magnetic beads were removed from the little patient's body after a four-hour surgery.

Dr Chen Wanwei, who led the operation, said they had broken two pieces of surgical tools while performing the 'difficult procedure'.

'It's rare to see swallowing so many magnetic . Because the number of magnetic beads is relatively large, the operation time was long, and the procedure was difficult,' Dr Chen told reporters.

'Two surgical instruments had been worn out. It was very difficult to take out all of the balls.'

The boy is said to be recovering at the facility following the successful operation.

In July, a little Chinese girl had 190 magnetic beads removed from her stomach after she swallowed them while playing.

The toy balls had been stuck inside the child for two months before she was taken by her parents to a hospital for examination.