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An Interesting Foreign Body Problem and Solution

James A. Stankiewicz, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001;127:69-70.

Difficult airway foreign bodies can create perplexing problems for the bronchoesophagologist. Sometimes, creative skills are necessary to allow removal of foreign bodies without the need for an external procedure. This article presents the first reported case of the removal of a severely impacted air valve cap in the left main bronchus and discusses the creative and innovative techniques and instrumentation that are required for successful removal when standard foreign body instrumentation is ineffective for the task. The case demonstrates that sometimes, against all odds, the most difficult airway problem can have a solution, avoiding increased patient morbidity.

From the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Ill.

Corresponding author: James A. Stankiewicz, MD, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 S First Ave, Maywood, IL 60253 (e-mail: jstank{at}luc.edu).