title: Endoscopic removal of esophageal impacted dentures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A retrospective study was conducted on 6 patients with esophageal impacted dentures removed via rigid esophagoscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six patients with esophageal impacted dentures were treated in our department, and the following technique was successfully performed. With the patients under general anesthesia, we inserted the endoscope to visualize the impacted dentures, fixed them with forceps, and then stuffed several cotton slivers soaked in saline solution into the esophagus around the dentures with another forceps. Then we extracted the dentures from the esophagus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All dentures were extracted through esophagoscopy, and there were no severe complications except for 1 case of esophageal hematoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The dilation method using saline solution-soaked cotton slivers is relatively safe and effective in removing impacted dentures from the esophagus, avoiding open surgery and possible perforation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Anhui Medical University Affiliated Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jingwu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yanming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003829:Denture, Partial; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies