Endoscopic Foreign Body Retrieval

Endoscopic foreign body retrieval refers to the removal of ingested objects from the esophagus, stomach and duodenum by endoscopic techniques. It does not involve surgery, but rather encompasses a variety of techniques employed through the gastroscope for grasping foreign bodies, manipulating them, and removing them while protecting the esophagus and trachea. It is of particular importance with children, people with mental illness, and prison inmates as these groups have a high rate of foreign body ingestion.

Commonly swallowed objects include coins, buttons, batteries, and small bones (such as fish bones), but can include more complex objects, such as eyeglasses, spoons, and toothbrushes (see image).

Read more about Endoscopic Foreign Body Retrieval:  Indications and Contraindications, Non-invasive Testing, Endoscopy

Famous quotes containing the words foreign and/or body:

    “I am ... willing to make it clear that American foreign policy must uphold the sanctity of international treaties. That is the cornerstone on which all relations between nations must rest.”
    —Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)

    “When we say that pleasure is the end, we do not mean the pleasure of the profligate or that which depends on physical enjoyment—as some think who do not understand our teachings, disagree with them, or give them an evil interpretation—but by pleasure we mean the state wherein the body is free from pain and the mind from anxiety.”
    —Epicurus (c. 341–271 B.C.)