Thiruvananthapuram: A fish bone that got stuck in the esophagus of a 55-year-old woman has been successfully removed through a complex procedure by a medical team at KIMSHEALTH.
The patient who has multiple health issues including kidney disease, reported at the Department of Emergency Medicine after experiencing throat discomfort.
In the initial phase, a CT scan of the neck revealed a foreign body, measuring 2.5 x 1.5 cm, in the uppermost part of the esophagus. A rigid esophagoscopy done revealed an ulcer with pus draining over the anterior lateral wall of the upper esophagus.
After suctioning out the pus from the ulcer site, no further abnormal findings were observed at that time. An endoscopy done by Dr. Madhu Sasidharan, Senior Consultant, Department of Gastroenterology, revealed an edema as well as an infected wound and a foreign body lodged inside the esophagus.
To further probe the cause of the edema and infection, the patient underwent an endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). While dissecting a fish bone was seen, which was immediately extracted.
Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) is a minimally invasive procedure used to remove tumors in the gastro-intestinal tract, without damaging the surrounding tissues.
This technique was first developed in Japan, but is now gaining popularity in India. However, ESD procedure for foreign body removal is rarely done. This complex procedure which utilizes a special hybrid knife, requires advanced expertise and technical knowledge.
After the procedure was successfully completed, the patient was transferred to the ICU for observation. A CT scan conducted two days later revealed no additional issues or complications, and the patient was able to resume normal oral intake.
The removal of the fish bone through submucosal dissection enabled the patient to avoid a major surgery and a prolonged hospital stay, said Dr. Madhu Sasidharan.
Dr. Shabeerali T.U, Senior Consultant, Department of Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgery; Dr. Ajith K Nair, Dr. Harish Kareem, Senior Consultants; Dr. Simna L, Consultant; Dr. Arun P and Dr. Devika Madhu, Associate Consultants, Department of Gastroenterology, Dr. Praveen Muralidharan, Senior Consultant, Department of Nephrology; Dr. Salil Kumar K, Senior Consultant, Department of ENT; Dr. Arun N.S. and Dr. Sooraj M.S, Department of Anesthesia, were also part of the treatment team.
