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:

    Oh, has the foul atmosphere of foreign lands extinguished all your self-respect? Do you come back sordid and sycophantic, and the slave of opinions you would once have utterly detested?
    Augusta Evans (1835–1909)

    Let us, then, take our compass; we are something, and we are not everything. The nature of our existence hides from us the knowledge of first beginnings which are born of the nothing; and the littleness of our being conceals from us the sight of the infinite. Our intellect holds the same position in the world of thought as our body occupies in the expanse of nature.
    Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)