Doctors discover a set of dentures lodged in the STOMACH of a dementia patient after he misplaced them
An old woman who misplaced her false teeth only for doctors to discover that she had swallowed them.
The patient, who suffered from dementia, had only mild pain, difficulty swallowing or nausea, but was taken to the hospital by her son as a precaution.
Doctors were baffled as to where the lower teeth might have gone and performed a scan on the elderly patient.
A camera was inserted into the woman’s lower digestive system where the dentures were discovered in her stomach.
The old woman was unaware that she had swallowed her missing teeth and did not complain of any pain, difficulty swallowing, or nausea.
Doctors performed an esophagogastroduodenoscopy to search for the missing dentures and discovered them in the patient’s stomach.
The endoscope was then removed and reinserted with a foreign body cap protector attached to the tip.
After several failed attempts, doctors were able to place the protective cap over the dentures and grasp it with rat-toothed forceps, extracting the foreign object from the woman’s stomach.
The procedure took just over two hours and the patient was able to return home the next day.
Experts at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas said there were no significant injuries caused by the removal of the dentures.
The medical team wrote: ‘Dentures are actually one of the most commonly swallowed items in adults. Others include bones, chicken or fish, and jewelry.
The doctors added that the woman’s history of dementia, stroke and central nervous system lymphoma made her less aware of the foreign body passing into her stomach.
The medical team inserted an endoscope into the woman’s esophageal sphincter, where the dentures were discovered in her stomach.
The doctors placed a protective cap over the dentures and grasped it with rat-toothed forceps. After several attempts, doctors were able to remove the dentures from the woman’s stomach without injuring her.
As a result, he did not experience any related symptoms such as abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, or nausea.
“Foreign body ingestion is an under-recognized hazard in adults, especially the elderly, where it can cause significant morbidity and even mortality,” the medical team said. ‘TO previous study It is estimated that 1,500 people in the United States die annually from this phenomenon.’
According to a separate studyendoscopic retrieval in adults is required in approximately 20 percent of cases, and emergency surgery is required in another 1 percent of cases.
