title: Successful laparoscopic removal of an ingested toothbrush.
abstract: Most ingested foreign bodies will pass through the gastrointestinal tract without any problems. On the other hand long, slender objects such as a toothbrush will rarely be able to negotiate the angulated and fixed retroperitoneal duodenal loop. Spontaneous toothbrush passage has never been described and therefore endoscopic or surgical removal is always required. Here we describe an asymptomatic young female presenting to out-patient clinic with a history of unintentional toothbrush ingestion 4 years prior. Endoscopic removal was unsuccessful because the toothbrush was partially embedded in to the gastric mucosa. We describe the second case to date of laparoscopic removal of a toothbrush via a gastrotomy with subsequent intra-corporeal repair of the defect.
authors.affiliation: Departments of General Surgery SpR in Upper GI Surgery, Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jamal
authors.affiliation: CT1 in Surgery, Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Shalin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaunak
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 1 Doctor, Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sarandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalsi
authors.affiliation: Consultant in Upper GI Surgery, Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Dhiren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nehra
keywords: Foreign body; gastronintestinal; laparoscopic; surgery; toothbrush
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