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:
“Science is an integral part of culture. It’s not this foreign thing, done by an arcane priesthood. It’s one of the glories of the human intellectual tradition.”
—Stephen Jay Gould (b. 1941)
“Let him go forth radiant,
let life rise in his young breast,
life is radiant,
life is made for beautiful love
and strange ecstasy,
strait, searing body and limbs.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)