Background: Ingestion of foreign bodies and food impaction represent the second most common endoscopicudemergency after bleeding. The aim of this paper is to report the management and the outcomes in 67 patientsudadmitted for suspected ingestion of foreign body between December 2012 and December 2014.udMethods: This retrospective study was conducted at Palermo University Hospitals, Italy, over a 2-year period. Weudreviewed patients’ database (age, sex, type of foreign body and its anatomical location, treatments, and outcomesudas complications, success rates, and mortalities).udResults: Foreign bodies were found in all of our 67 patients. Almost all were found in the stomach and lowerudesophagus (77 %). The types of foreign body were very different, but they were chiefly meat boluses, fishbonesudor cartilages, button battery and dental prostheses. In all patients it was possible to endoscopically remove theudforeign body. Complications related to the endoscopic procedure were unfrequent (about 7 %) and have beenudtreated conservatively. 5.9 % of patients had previous esophageal or laryngeal surgery, and 8.9 % had an underlyingudesophageal disease, such as a narrowing, dismotility or achalasia.udConclusion: Our experience with foreign bodies and food impaction emphasizes the importance of endoscopicudapproach and removal, simple and secure when performed by experienced hands and under conscious sedationudin most cases.udHigh success rates, lower incidence of minor complications, reduction of the need of surgery and reducedudhospitalization time are the strengths of the endoscopic approach.
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