Navi Mumbai: In an unusual medical emergency, doctors at a Kharghar hospital successfully removed a 19-cm toothbrush from the stomach of a 50-year-old man who accidentally swallowed it while brushing his teeth. The doctors performed a challenging 30-minute endoscopic procedure, avoiding the need for surgery.
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The patient, Rajendra Malusare, a resident of Pen who works as an autorickshaw driver and has a physical disability, experienced mild abdominal pain after accidentally swallowing the toothbrush. He initially approached a local physician, who advised an X-ray. However, the object was not detected, following which he was referred to Medicover Hospitals in Kharghar for further evaluation.
An endoscopy revealed that the entire toothbrush was lodged horizontally inside his stomach. Considering the length and rigid structure of the object, doctors decided to remove it through an endoscopic procedure to prevent complications such as intestinal obstruction or perforation.
Dr Raosaheb Rathod, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist and Therapeutic Endoscopist at Medicover Hospitals, who led the team, said the patient reached the hospital three to four hours after swallowing the toothbrush.
"The procedure was challenging because the toothbrush was hard, straight and lying horizontally in the stomach. We used a hood attached to the tip of the endoscope to grip one end and carefully pull it out. However, it got stuck at the gastroesophageal junction, where the stomach meets the food pipe. After repeated manoeuvres and changes in the patient's position, we managed to move it past the junction," he said.
The toothbrush subsequently got stuck near the upper oesophageal sphincter in the throat, requiring further careful manoeuvring before doctors could extract it intact through the mouth.
A follow-up endoscopy confirmed that there was no injury to the upper or lower oesophageal sphincters. The patient's symptoms improved, and he was kept under observation before being discharged in a stable condition within three to four hours of the procedure.
Doctors cautioned that swallowing large foreign objects requires immediate medical attention. They advised against inducing vomiting or attempting to push the object down with food, as such measures could cause injuries, bleeding or further obstruction.
Expressing relief, Malusare thanked the medical team for removing the toothbrush without surgery and enabling him to return home within a few hours.
Neeraj Lal, Regional Director for Maharashtra and Karnataka at Medicover Hospitals, "Accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment in managing complex medical emergencies is required in such cases."
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