Dr Tao Chang of the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine said the boy, nicknamed Xiaohua, was reluctant to admit what had happened.
An X-ray scan revealed the Buckyballs, each about five millimetres (0.2 inches) in diameter, bundled together in his bladder after the child had pushed them up via his urinary tract.
'As children mature, it is normal for them to become more curious about their bodies,' Dr Tao told Metropolis Express, adding that it is vital for teachers and parents to communicate with children to help them understand the changes in their bodies.
Eventually, doctors conducted a minimally invasive surgery to extract the balls via the boy's bladder during an endoscopy.
'Regular surgery would require a 10-centimetre (4-inch) incision, but with microsurgery the opening is minimised to just 1 centimetre (0.4 inches),' Tao said, adding that the young patient is expected to make a full recovery.
Tao said he had previously operated on pubescent boys found with objects such as sewing needles, cables and copper wire up their urethras.
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