Korean J Gastrointest Endosc.  2011 May;42(5):293-296.

Razor Blade Removal from the Cervical Esophagus Utilizing a Novel Modification of the Overtube

• Ryu SR
• Kim SH
• Seon CS
• Chung MY
• Ahn SB
• Son BK
• Jo YJ
• Park YS

Abstract

Foreign bodies in the upper esophagus should be removed as soon as possible to avoid serious complications. These foreign bodies can penetrate the bowel wall and cause severe complications. The peristalsis of the esophagus is not strong enough to prevent it from retaining swallowed objects. Hence, perforation from a foreign body is more likely to occur in the esophagus than in the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. A razor blade is a rare foreign body of the esophagus. Its sharpness and large size make it difficult to remove. A razor blade was very firmly impacted in the esophageal wall in our case, and the razor blade had not moved from the upper esophagus. A standard overtube has limitations to remove a razor blade inside the overtube's lumen. We report here on a case of using a wedge resected overtube made it possible to successfully extract a razor blade and no serious complications occurred after extraction of the razor blade.

Keyword

Foreign bodies; Sharp margin; Esophagus; Razor blade; Wedge resected overtube

MeSH Terms

Esophagus
Foreign Bodies
Gastrointestinal Tract
Peristalsis