Methods: Data of 787 patients (353 males, 434 females; mean age 11.7 years; range 5 months to 85 years) who were performed endoscopic procedure due to suspected foreign body in our thoracic surgery clinic between January 1982 and December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Age, sex, clinical symptoms, localization of foreign body in the respiratory tree, radiological findings, nature of the foreign body, time lapse between foreign body aspiration and removal, complications, and mortality rates were evaluated.

Results: Male to female ratio was 1:1.2. In 13.7% of the cases (n=108), foreign body was not found by bronchoscopy (true absence of foreign body+peripheral localization of foreign body). Of the cases, 83.2% (n=655) was removed by bronchoscopy. Thirty-five cases (4.4%) with bodies located too peripherally or which could not be grasped by forceps were removed via thoracotomy+bronchotomy. Total number of cases with removed foreign body/bodies was 690. Of the removed foreign bodies, 43.9% was pins, 27.2% was nuts, and 28.9% was other foreign bodies. Of the aspirated foreign bodies, 52.2% was localized in the right and 32.2% in the left bronchial systems, 13.9% in trachea, and 1.7% in both bronchial systems. Complication rate was 3.3% and there were four mortalities.

Conclusion:/b> Tracheobronchial foreign bodies may be lifethreatening particularly in the 0-3 age group by causing more frequent early or late complications compared to other age groups. We hope that the frequency of tracheobronchial foreign body aspirations decrease through means of education.