How Jaipur doctors removed the world longest hairball from teen girl's stomach suffering from 'Rapunzel syndrome'

Doctors at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur successfully removed what is believed to be the world’s longest trichobezoar, a 210-centimetre-long mass of hair, from the stomach of a 14-year-old girl on Tuesday. The previous recorded length of such a mass stood at 180 cm.

The girl, a resident of Barara village in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh, had been experiencing abdominal pain and vomiting for over a month. Upon clinical examination, doctors discovered a hard, elongated mass in her abdomen. A Contrast-Enhanced CT (CECT) scan revealed a swollen stomach containing an unusual object extending through the digestive tract.

What is Rapunzel Syndrome ?

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine,, bezoars are concretions of foreign material in the gastrointestinal tract, mainly the stomach. Bezoars composed of hair or hair-like fibers are called trichobezoars. Most patients with trichobezoars suffer from psychiatric disorders. When a trichobezoar extends into the small intestine, as observed in this case, the condition is classified as ‘Rapunzel syndrome’.

How the hairball was removed ?

The trichobezoar had extended into the small intestine, posing a major surgical challenge. Doctors noted that removing the mass in one piece was critical, as fragmentation could have required multiple incisions along the intestines. The two-hour operation was completed without the need for a blood transfusion.

Surgeons at SMS Hospital determined the girl was suffering from Pica, a psychological disorder in which individuals consume non-edible substances. “She started eating chalk in school around Class 6, influenced by peers, and later began ingesting hair,” said Dr. Jeevan Kankaria of the hospital’s surgery department. “During the operation, we also found rubber bands, stones, wooden pieces, and threads entangled within the hairball.”

“When we measured it, the hairball was 210 cm long. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest trichobezoar ever removed from a patient’s stomach,” Dr. Kankaria said, adding that the hospital will be submitting the case to the Guinness World Records for recognition. Dr. Kankaria has previously registered four Guinness World Records for surgical achievements.

The patient, a Class 10 student from a farmer family, is currently recovering and is expected to be discharged soon, hospital officials said.