People sometimes swallow food or foreign objects which can clog up in the digestive tract. Usually, most of the small items pass through the digestive tract and are excreted from the body in stool. When a foreign object does not pass from the body on its own then in such condition patient needs to undergo endoscopic procedure to remove it. Foreign body ingestion is a very common condition especially among children and people with mental illness. The most frequently ingested foreign bodies in children are coins, toys, magnets and batteries. Most foreign body ingestions in adults occur while eating, leading to either bone or meat bolus impaction. If an object clogs up in the airway and obstructs breathing then emergency medical attention is required.
Endoscopic technique is the most popular, successful and advanced technique to remove foreign objects from the body. Endoscopic foreign body removal procedure primarily used to remove ingested objects from the Esophagus, Stomach and Duodenum. It does not involve any surgery but rather include various techniques performed through the gastroscope for grasping foreign bodies, manipulating them and removing them while protecting the esophagus and trachea.
- Endoscopic foreign body removal is a minimally invasive procedure used to remove items that have swallowed and become stuck in the digestive tract.
- A person after swallowing a foreign object start feeling that something is stuck in the throat and can experience difficulty in swallowing. In such case, Doctors typically perform an upper endoscopy procedure which is also known as an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) to remove the object.
- During the EGD procedure, doctor examines the lining of the digestive tract including esophagus, stomach and upper part of the small intestine to check for damage.
- A person or children needs to undergo Endoscopic Foreign Body Removal procedure if he/she swallows an object such as a toy, a large pill, battery or a large piece of food.
- Most of the time, these foreign objects pass through the digestive tract on their own but sometimes they become stuck.
- These Swallowed foreign objects can cause a blockage, sores, tear or hole in the lining of the digestive tract which can cause life threatening condition if objects are not removed immediately.
- Diagnosis of foreign objects is very easy nowadays due to the availability of advanced screening tests.
- Doctors recommend an X-ray test to detect exact location of the swallowed object.
- Items such as bones or pills do not appear on an X-ray. In such cases, doctors can ask for a CT scan to locate the object.
- Sleeve Gastrectomy is also called as a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.
- This procedure is typically performed laparoscopically which involves inserting small instruments through multiple small incisions in the upper abdomen.
- During Sleeve Gastrectomy about 80 percent of the stomach is removed thus leaving a tube-shaped stomach about the size and shape of a banana.
- Endoscopic Foreign Body Removal procedure is performed in an urgent or emergency situation hence no specific preparation is required.
- After the exact identifying and locating the object, doctor determines the next steps. If food is causing the obstruction, doctors can decide to push it into the stomach. People can typically digest the food which then passes through the digestive tract on their own.
- In Endoscopic foreign body removal procedure, doctor uses a gastroscope or an optic fiber charge-coupled device
- Gastroscope is a long shaped instrument which is inserted through the mouth into the esophagus and stomach to identify the foreign body or bodies. This procedure is typically performed under conscious sedation.
- Once the foreign objects are successfully identified with the gastroscope, various devices such as magnet, forceps, snares, oval loops or roth basket are passed through the gastroscope to grasp or manipulate the foreign body.
- Doctors perform an EGD procedure to remove a foreign object from the digestive tract. Before the procedure, patient receives a sedative to relax.
- Doctors use an Endoscope to perform an EGD. An Endoscope is a long, flexible tube with a lighted camera located at its tip and channels for inserting instruments through the scope. The doctor passes the endoscope through the mouth and into the esophagus to see the obstruction occurring due to foreign objects.
- Doctor can remove the foreign body by using endoscope. If the object is in the esophagus and can pass through the body on its own then doctor can decide to push it into the stomach.
Endoscopic foreign body removal is safer and effective procedure and does not involve any severe risk of complications.