Abstract
An 8-year-old girl was admitted because of abdominal pain. A mass was palpated in the left upper abdomen and an x-ray and computed tomography of the abdomen showed a stuffed and dilated stomach. Bowel obstruction of the duodenum was initially suspected; however, a foreign body in the stomach was diagnosed preoperatively. The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a large trichobezoar in the stomach which could not be removed endoscopically. Laparotomy was performed using a wound retractor inserted through the skin not only into the peritoneal cavity but into the gastric wall in an attempt to prevent spillage of the gastric contents. The trichobezoar had to be dissected into pieces to remove it because it was stuck in the stomach. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged from the hospital 5 days after the operation without any complications. A wound retractor hooked into the stomach wall is useful in terms of preventing pieces of trichobezoar from spilling.
