ISSN : 1301-5680
e-ISSN : 2149-8156
Turkish Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery     
Diagnosis, treatment, and management of esophageal foreign bodies in patients with mental retardation: A retrospective study from three centers
Omer Topaloglu1, Kubra Nur Kılıc1, Sami Karapolat1, Yener Aydın2, Atila Turkyilmaz1, Aysen Taslak Sengul3, Atilla Eroglu2, Ahmet Basoglu3
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine, Trabzon, Türkiye
2Department of Thoracic Surgery, Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Türkiye
3Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Türkiye
DOI : 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2024.25724
Background: This study aims to assess the outcomes and prognosis of surgical interventions aimed at removing esophageal foreign bodies in patients with mental retardation.

Methods: Between January 2010 and January 2021, a total of 30 consecutive patients (20 males, 10 females; median age: 29.5 years; range, 2 to 57 years) with mental retardation who were diagnosed with esophageal foreign bodies and underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed. Age and sex of the patients, symptoms, type of the foreign body, esophageal stricture level, methods used for preoperative diagnosis, type of surgical procedure, postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay were recorded.

Results: Seventeen (56.6%) patients had a foreign body in the first narrowing, 12 (40%) in the second narrowing, and one (3.3%) in the third narrowing. A rigid esophagoscopy was performed in all cases. However, successful removal was not achieved in two (6.6%) cases, and foreign bodies were removed through cervical esophagotomy in one (3.3%) patient and through esophagotomy with right thoracotomy in one (3.3%) patient. Postoperative complications included esophagitis in seven patients (23.3%) and wound infection and pneumonia in two patients (6.6%). The median length of hospital stay after treatment was 1.09 days in patients without complications and 3.3 days in patients with complications. There was a significant correlation between the occurrence of complications and the length of hospital stay (p=0.002). The foreign body was successfully removed in all patients, and no mortality was observed.

Conclusion: Early diagnosis and emergency intervention can reduce complications, particularly considering the possibility of non-food and sharp-edged foreign bodies that pose a higher risk of damaging the digestive system, in patients with mental retardation than those without such conditions.

Keywords : Complications, esophageal foreign body, management, mental retardation
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