The patient was admitted to the hospital last week suffering from prolonged coughing, thick phlegm, and wheezing. X-ray and CT scans of his chest revealed a stainless steel spoon handle lodged deep in the left main bronchus for about one month.
Doctors and technicians from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, in coordination with the Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, performed an endoscopy. They successfully removed the approximately 6 cm long stainless steel spoon handle from the patient's bronchus after dissecting the inflamed tissue.
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A 6 cm spoon handle removed from the patient's bronchus. Photo: Hospital provided. |
A 6 cm spoon handle removed from the patient's bronchus. Photo: Hospital provided.
According to doctors, after more than one month, the foreign object was no longer free. It was encased by inflamed tissue, firmly attached to the bronchial wall, and nearly completely blocked the bronchial lumen, posing risks of lung collapse, severe infection, and vascular damage.
"The removal process was difficult due to the foreign object's firm attachment and limited visibility caused by the inflamed tissue," a doctor stated. They added that imprecise maneuvers could cause the object to become more deeply lodged or result in bronchial tearing and bleeding.
Family members reported the patient has a history of paranoid schizophrenia.
The hospital recommends that if people experience persistent symptoms such as prolonged coughing, phlegm, wheezing, and shortness of breath that do not improve with treatment, they should seek medical attention to rule out the risk of airway foreign bodies and prevent dangerous complications.
Duc Hung
