79-year-old patient had 4cm fish bone pierced his stomach

(Dan Tri) - A 79-year-old patient in Thanh Hoa had a foreign object suspected to be a fish bone pierce his stomach and enter his abdominal cavity and was promptly treated by doctors.

On May 11, Thanh Hoa General Hospital announced that it had successfully performed an endoscopy to remove a sharp foreign object that had penetrated the stomach wall into the abdominal cavity of a 79-year-old female patient.

The patient is Ms. NTG (born in 1946), residing in Bac Son ward, Sam Son city, Thanh Hoa province. Ms. NTG was hospitalized with a dull abdominal pain that lasted for many days, after ineffective treatment at a lower-level medical facility.

Endoscopic image of foreign objects (Photo: Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital).

At Thanh Hoa General Hospital, Ms. G. was ordered to have a CT scan of her abdomen. The results showed that a foreign object about 4cm long, suspected to be a fish bone, had penetrated the posterior wall of her stomach into her abdominal cavity.

Faced with the risk of complications such as peritonitis, abdominal infection or gastrointestinal bleeding, doctors quickly performed emergency endoscopy.

Through endoscopic images, the foreign object was determined to be deeply embedded in the gastric antrum, causing edema and pus discharge at the site.

With skillful and precise manipulation, the doctors successfully removed the foreign object with specialized equipment, closed the hole, helping the patient avoid a dangerous open surgery. After the procedure, the patient was actively monitored and treated with stable internal medicine.

Image of foreign object after removal (Photo: Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital).

Doctor Le Van Son, Deputy Head of the Department of Functional Exploration, said that this is a very difficult endoscopy.

"The foreign object not only stays in the stomach but also penetrates the stomach wall, the sharp tip is deeply embedded in the muscle layer. If the operation is not precise, it can cause a wide tear in the hole, bleeding or even cause the foreign object to drift deeper into the abdominal cavity.

If not treated promptly, it can lead to peritonitis, abdominal infection, and even threaten the patient's life," Dr. Son shared.

Doctor Son also recommends that when eating and drinking, people need to be careful, chew slowly and thoroughly, especially the elderly who have lost teeth and young children.

In case of suspected bone or foreign object stuck in the throat, you should immediately go to a medical facility with an ENT and Digestive specialist for early diagnosis and treatment.

Do not use folk remedies such as swallowing cold rice or using your hands to remove foreign objects, as this can cause the foreign object to penetrate deeper into the mucosa, making the condition worse.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/benh-nhan-79-tuoi-bi-xuong-ca-4cm-dam-thung-da-day-20250511153305093.htm