Successfully removed a 5cm long bamboo toothpick from a patient's stomach.

Previously, Mr. LVT, born in 1965, residing in Son Thinh hamlet, Thanh Thinh commune (Thanh Chuong district), came to Thanh Chuong General Hospital for examination due to epigastric pain that had lasted for 3 days.

Upon examination, the doctor diagnosed the condition and ordered a gastrointestinal endoscopy. During the gastroscopy, a bamboo toothpick (still intact) was found near the pylorus of the stomach, piercing the stomach wall and causing inflammation and ulceration.

As soon as the foreign object was detected, the doctors performed a gastroscopy under anesthesia and successfully removed the stick.bamboo toothpickThe object, approximately 5 cm long, was intact with pointed ends and did not cause any damage to the patient's stomach or intestinal lining.

After the foreign object was removed, the patient continued to be monitored and is now in stable condition and can be discharged from the hospital.

According to patient T., due to the habit of using toothpicks to clean her teeth after meals and holding them in her mouth while watching TV, she fell asleep and unknowingly swallowed the toothpick.

Doctors warn: In cases of foreign bodies like this, if not detected and treated promptly, the foreign body can pierce the wall of the digestive tract into the abdominal cavity, causing bleeding and peritonitis, which can be life-threatening.

To avoid complications from foreign objects in the digestive tract, people should not hold toothpicks in their mouths while sleeping. If you accidentally swallow a foreign object, you should immediately go to a medical facility for prompt treatment.