Laparoscopic Intragastric Removal of Giant Trichobezoar

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gastric bezoars are a rare clinical entity, most commonly observed in patients with mental or emotional illness. Large bezoars can be difficult to remove laparoscopically without extending a port incision. METHODS: We report the case of a large symptomatic trichobezoar with Rapunzel syndrome that occurred in a 17-year-old girl who had trichotillomania. RESULTS: The bezoar was removed laparoscopically, in piecemeal fashion, through a gastrotomy port. This procedure did not require an extension of any incision, nor did it require the contents of the stomach to directly touch the incision, thereby reducing the risk of infection. The patient was discharged home, on the fourth postoperative day, free of any complications. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates the safety of the laparoscopic approach in the removal of large gastric bezoars. In considering use of this approach, the potentially long operative time must be weighed against the benefits of both minimal risk of infection and minimal incisions.