Powerful Magnets Spare Baby From Major Surgery

CNN reports "Magnet experiment saves baby big surgery".

Basically, Dr. Eric Scaife (assisted by a radiologist) used a pair of powerful magnets to safely create an artificial perforation in some abnormal tissue blocking a baby's rectum (a condition known as rectal atresia). By doing so, he was able to spare the baby some potentially dangerous major surgery.

The article doesn't describe which brand of magnet Dr. Scaife used, only that they were "industrial-strength magnets from an online company". But they sure sound similar to these Buckyball magnets that the government is trying to ban from consumers.

In effect, Dr. Scaife used his magnets to create (under carefully controlled circumstances) the same kind of bowel perforation that is one of the risks of unintended ingestion of Buckyball magnets.

(FWIW, I don't think the government should ban the sale of Buckyball magnets to adults.  But that's a topic for another time.  CNN link via R.W.)