Esophageal Foreign Body Removal Treatment in India

Priya Bhatia, a 72-year-old retired schoolteacher...

Priya Bhatia, a 72-year-old retired schoolteacher living with her son's family, had been experiencing subtle but persistent discomfort for weeks. A lifelong vegetarian, she enjoyed nuts and seeds in her meals. One evening, after a family dinner featuring a walnut-based curry, she felt a sharp, sticking sensation in her chest when swallowing. Over the next few days, it progressed to painful swallowing (odynophagia), an inability to eat solid foods, and a constant feeling of something being stuck. She tried drinking warm water and eating soft bread, as old home remedies suggested, but the pain only worsened, and she began drooling. Her son took her to the emergency room. A CT scan revealed a large, jagged piece of walnut shell lodged in her mid-esophagus. The surgical gastroenterologist, Dr. Mehta, explained that due to the size, sharp edges, and duration of impaction, endoscopic removal under general anesthesia was necessary to prevent perforation. Priya was terrified of the anesthesia and the scope. In the procedure room, the team was gentle and reassuring. Under sedation, Dr. Mehta used a flexible endoscope with a retrieval basket to carefully grasp and remove the large fragment. The procedure took 25 minutes. Priya woke up in recovery with a sore throat but immediate relief from the sticking sensation. She stayed overnight for observation, started on a liquid diet, and was discharged the next day. Her recovery involved a gradual return to soft foods over a week. Emotionally, Priya felt a mix of embarrassment for 'not chewing properly' and anxiety about being a burden. After the successful procedure, her primary emotion was profound gratitude and relief. She felt cared for and was eager to get back to enjoying meals with her grandchildren, albeit with a new mindfulness about chewing thoroughly.