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Foreign body ingestion means a non-food object — or food that becomes impacted — lodges in the esophagus, stomach, or beyond. About 80% of swallowed objects that reach the stomach pass naturally through the intestines without trouble. The danger lies in objects stuck in the esophagus (the food pipe), sharp objects anywhere, and button batteries or magnets.
Endoscopic removal is the definitive treatment. Through the endoscope’s working channel, the doctor uses instruments chosen for the specific object: snares for round objects like coins, retrieval baskets and Roth nets for food boluses, rat-tooth or alligator forceps for firm objects, and a protective overtube or cap when removing sharp items like bones, so the esophagus is shielded during withdrawal.
The procedure is performed under sedation with continuous monitoring, and in high-risk cases (sharp objects, batteries, breathing difficulty) with anesthesia support to protect the airway. Success rates exceed 95%, and the vast majority of patients go home the same day.
Schedule your diagnostic procedure or clinic visit directly with Dr. Muhammad Raza.
Swallowing a foreign object — a coin, a fish bone, a denture, or a piece of food that gets stuck — is frightening, and in some cases dangerous. The modern, safe answer is endoscopic foreign body removal: a gastroenterologist passes a thin flexible endoscope through the mouth, locates the object, grasps it with a specialized instrument, and brings it out — usually within minutes, without any surgical incision. At the Gastro & Liver Care Clinic by Dr. Muhammad Raza in Lahore, foreign body removal is handled as an urgent priority with full airway protection and specialized retrieval instruments.
This situation is more common than most people realize. Children swallow coins, buttons, and small toys. Adults get fish or chicken bones lodged in the throat, dentures dislodged during sleep, or meat stuck in a narrowed esophagus. Button batteries deserve special mention: if a child swallows one, it is a true emergency — the battery can burn through the esophagus within 2 hours. Knowing when to rush for endoscopy, and what NOT to do at home, can prevent serious harm.
Seek urgent endoscopic care if any of the following occur:
What NOT to do: Do not try to induce vomiting — it can drive a sharp object deeper or into the airway. Do not force the person to eat bread or rice to ‘push it down’ if they cannot swallow saliva; this worsens impaction. Do not wait overnight with a suspected battery ingestion. Call 0300-1601390 for guidance and come in urgently.
1. Rapid assessment. We establish what was swallowed, when, and the current symptoms: Can the patient swallow saliva? Is there drooling, vomiting, chest pain, or breathing difficulty? An X-ray is taken for radio-opaque objects (coins, batteries, bones) to confirm location — esophagus, stomach, or beyond.
2. Urgency triage. Button batteries or sharp objects in the esophagus go first — immediately. Food impaction with inability to swallow saliva is urgent (within hours). A coin in the stomach of a comfortable child may be observed briefly, but esophageal coins are removed promptly.
3. Sedation and airway protection. You or your child receives sedation with full monitoring (oxygen, heart rate). For sharp objects or difficult cases, the airway is protected to prevent aspiration.
4. Endoscopic retrieval. Dr. Raza advances the endoscope to the object and selects the right instrument: Coins and round objects — grasped with a snare or forceps; Food bolus — broken up and retrieved with a Roth net or basket, or gently pushed into the stomach if safe; Fish/chicken bones — grasped with forceps and withdrawn inside a protective overtube or cap so sharp edges cannot scratch the esophagus; Button batteries — retrieved urgently with a net or basket, followed by careful inspection of the burn site; Dentures and irregular objects — maneuvered with forceps, sometimes rotated to the safest orientation for removal.
5. Inspection after removal. Once the object is out, the esophagus and stomach lining are carefully re-examined for scratches, tears, or burns that need treatment or observation.
6. Recovery. Most patients rest for 1–2 hours and go home the same day with dietary advice. If there was a significant injury (battery burn, deep scratch), a short admission for observation and medication may be advised.
Endoscopic foreign body removal is dramatically safer and easier than the alternative:
Recovery is usually uneventful. A sore throat for a day is common and settles with warm fluids. After sharp-object or battery removal, a soft diet for a few days and acid-suppressing medication help the lining heal. Dr. Raza will advise whether a follow-up visit or repeat endoscopy is needed — for most straightforward retrievals, none is.
Dr. Muhammad Raza, Consultant Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist, has the specialized instruments and judgment that foreign body cases demand — choosing the right retrieval device for each object, protecting the airway and esophagus throughout, and recognizing when an injury needs further care. At the Gastro & Liver Care Clinic by Dr. Muhammad Raza (Jail Rd, G.O.R.-I, Lahore), these cases are treated as the emergencies they are.
Clinic hours: Monday to Saturday, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Sunday closed). For swallowed objects, call 0300-1601390 immediately — especially for button batteries. Consultation fee: Rs. 2,000.
Stay calm. If your child is breathing normally but drooling, vomiting, or refusing to swallow, the coin is likely in the esophagus and needs prompt endoscopic removal — come in urgently. If the child is completely comfortable and swallowing normally, the coin may have reached the stomach; still call 0300-1601390 for guidance, as an X-ray will confirm its location.
No — never induce vomiting. It can force a sharp object into the airway or deeper into the esophagus, turning a manageable situation into a dangerous one. Keep the person calm, do not give food or drink if swallowing is difficult, and seek endoscopic care.
A button battery generates an electrical current when it contacts moist tissue, causing severe chemical burns that can perforate the esophagus within 2 hours. This is a race against time — if you suspect a child swallowed a battery, go for emergency care immediately, day or night. Do not wait for symptoms.
Small, smooth bones sometimes pass, but a bone that feels 'stuck' — with pain on swallowing that persists beyond an hour or two — should be removed endoscopically. Sharp bones can scratch or puncture the esophagus. Do not try to dislodge it with handfuls of rice if swallowing is painful.
Most foreign body removals in children are done under deep conscious sedation with full monitoring, which is safe and comfortable. The exact plan depends on the child's age, the object, and its location — Dr. Raza will explain the safest approach for your child before starting.
Rarely. Surgery is considered only if the object has caused a perforation, cannot be reached endoscopically, or has been present so long that complications developed. Over 95% of cases are resolved with endoscopy alone.
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