Removal of a foreign body (airways, oesophagus)

An object can be swallowed and become stuck in the oesophagus (a coin, a piece of meat, a fish bone, a bone, a battery, a denture), or be inhaled and pass into the airways (a peanut, a seed, a small toy, a pin). This is common in young children, but also happens in adults and older people. The foreign body must be removed quickly to avoid complications. Removal is carried out by endoscopy, in most cases under general anaesthesia. For the oesophagus, an endoscope is passed through the mouth down to the object, which is grasped with suitable forceps and removed. For the airways, a bronchoscope is used, flexible or rigid depending on age and the object, allowing the object to be seen and removed safely. The walls are then checked. The procedure is performed urgently when the object blocks breathing or swallowing, or when it is dangerous (button battery, sharp object, magnets). A sudden coughing fit after choking, even if it has settled, should lead to a medical visit: an object may have stayed in an airway. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, patients are received by the emergency department, and removal is carried out in the operating theatre or the endoscopy room, by ENT surgeons, thoracic surgeons or endoscopists depending on where the object is, with an anaesthesia team experienced with children.