"Doctor, I accidentally swallowed a comb, can you quickly help me get it out?!" Hearing this sentence, both ordinary people and doctors will feel incredible. But this really happened to Miss Li (pseudonym) not long ago!
After drinking, he vomited and swallowed a comb by mistake
On the evening of January 2, Miss Li gathered with relatives and friends, returned to the residence after eating a supper and drinking a few cups, and picked up a disposable comb of the hotel as a "tongue depressor" to induce vomiting, but unexpectedly not only did not spit it out, but accidentally swallowed the comb! Miss Li rushed to a nearby hospital. But the comb was plastic and could not be developed on CT examination, and it was already early in the morning of the holidays, and endoscopic operations could not be performed at a nearby hospital.
The next morning, Accompanied by her family, Ms. Li went to the emergency department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, and the doctor who received the treatment, Song Lei, did a plain abdominal examination for her, but still could not judge the specific location of the plastic comb in her body. Considering that the comb was large and could not be discharged on its own, the emergency department immediately contacted the hospital's gastroenterology endoscopy center and tried to remove it by gastroscope.
Endoscopic surgery removes a comb about 17 cm long
"Because the comb is larger and the time to swallow is not long from the time of medical treatment, we initially judged that the probability is in the stomach." The stomach is in the empty state, the bottom of the stomach to the pylorus has a maximum diameter of about 10 cm, a comb is across the stomach, CT can not be developed, only through the gastroscope to explore and try to remove. Qingqing, a gastroenterologist at the Third Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, said that the operation has certain difficulties and risks. Because the comb has teeth, improper handling may cause perforation of the ball of the duodenum; in addition, to remove the comb needs to go through the narrow gastric cardia, improper treatment is also easy to cause cardia tearing; and when the comb is finally removed from the larynx, it needs to expand the arc of the narrow, otherwise it may also cause mucosal damage and bleeding, and even cause aspiration and suffocation in severe cases.
After full communication with Ms. Li, with the close cooperation of the operating room and anesthesiologists, the medical staff of the Endoscopy Center of the Department of Gastroenterology of the Third Hospital of Guangdong Medical University performed a gastroscopic foreign body surgery for her under general anesthesia.
During the operation, the gastroscope enters the stomach while inflating the stomach cavity. Fortunately, the edges of the comb were smooth, no significant bleeding was found in the gastric mucosa, and no perforation occurred in the bulbous part of the duodenum. During the operation, the doctor first uses forceps to pull the comb to find a suitable angle, then uses a snare to cover the top of the comb, so that it remains perpendicular to the cardia plane, and then inflates and expands the esophagus, gently and slowly bringing the comb out.
Doctor's hand-drawn comb in the stomach (left) and schematic diagram of the surgical procedure (right).
Photo caption: The gastroenterologist of the Third Hospital of Guangdong Medical University performs gastroscopic foreign body retrieval surgery for patients.
With the close cooperation of the medical staff of the Third Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, the comb was smoothly removed. After measurement, the size of the comb taken out is about 17 cm * 3 cm. After the operation, Miss Li received anti-infection treatment and stomach-protecting drugs and was successfully discharged from the hospital on the same day.
The comb is visible under the gastroscopy during the day.
Comb that was successfully removed.
Doctors remind: If you swallow a foreign body by mistake, you should seek medical attention in time
"Foreign bodies in the digestive tract are more common, especially in children, but swallowing combs by mistake, foreign bodies of such a long length are indeed rare in the clinic." Qingqing, a gastroenterologist at the Third Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, reminds that if you accidentally swallow a foreign body by mistake, do not blindly swallow the foreign body by drinking vinegar, swallowing rice, etc. In particular, sharp foreign bodies such as toothpicks and fish bones may move their positions, easily puncture the walls of the esophagus, stomach and even intestines, causing local inflammation, injury and inflammation that are not treated in time, and further expansion can cause complications such as mediastinitis, lung infection or esophageal tracheal fistula, which is serious or life-threatening. Therefore, it is recommended to go to the doctor in time after swallowing the foreign body, and the doctor will judge and determine the appropriate treatment method to ensure safety as much as possible.
Text, photo/ Guangzhou Daily, Xinhuacheng reporter Weng Shuxian, correspondent Wang Hui and Bai Tian
Guangzhou Daily New Flower City Editor: Wu Wanhong