Hangzhou woman undergoes surgery after buffet causes extreme stomach dilation

A 24-year-old woman in Hangzhou, China, required emergency surgery after consuming an excessive amount of food during a two-hour buffet session. The patient, who had been dieting and experienced a weight-loss plateau, used the buffet as a “cheat meal.”

Medical staff at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine reported that her stomach had dilated to five to ten times its normal size. The swelling was so severe that she was unable to vomit or have normal bowel movements, and doctors were unable to use a gastric tube to relieve the pressure.

Surgeons performed abdominal surgery to remove approximately 1.5 kg of undigested food. Dr. Lu Xiao, Deputy Director of the Emergency Department, warned that consuming large quantities of food in a short period can lead to life-threatening conditions, including acute gastric dilatation, acute pancreatitis, sepsis, and multi-organ failure.