Surgical intervention for gastrointestinal foreign bodies in adults: a case series

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to demonstrate our experience regarding the surgical treatment of complications after foreign body ingestion.

Subject and methods: From 1997 to 2005, we treated 16 adult patients (mean age 44.8 years, range 21-77), who presented with complications after foreign body ingestion.

Results: The complications treated were perforation-peritonitis: n = 7 (44%), intra-abdominal abscess formation: n = 5 (31%), upper gastrointestinal bleeding: n = 3 (19%) and inflammatory mass formation: n = 1 (6%) patient. The diagnosis was made intra-operatively in 13 (81.3%) of the cases. The commonest anatomical position of the perforation was the large bowel, in 7 (43%) of the cases. Bony food parts were the commonest foreign bodies accidentally swallowed, in 9 (56%) patients. The median hospital stay was 7 days (2-18), while no death occurred in the postoperative period among the patients of the study. The postoperative morbidity rate was 22.2%.

Conclusions: The most common complication after foreign body ingestion was the perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. The risk of perforation was higher when sharp foreign bodies were ingested. The pre-operative diagnosis was difficult, and it was usually achieved intra-operatively.