In Aydın's Söke district, a young girl was hospitalized after swallowing an 18-centimeter fork, which was surgically removed from her stomach.
E.E. (18), a foreign national residing in Söke, was brought to Aydın Adnan Menderes University (ADÜ) Hospital by ambulance after complaining of swallowing a fork. An X-ray revealed the 18-centimeter fork lodged in her esophagus.
Doctors attempted to remove the fork via endoscopy, but due to the risk of damaging the esophagus and trachea, they decided to perform surgery to cut into the stomach and extract the fork.
The operation, coordinated by Dr. Salih Çokpınar from the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Dr. Akay Edizsoy from the Department of General Surgery at ADÜ Medical Faculty, successfully removed the fork after making an incision in the stomach.
After spending some time in intensive care, the patient was transferred to a regular ward as her condition improved.
Dr. Edizsoy noted that while cases of swallowing small objects like coins, pins, and nails are common, swallowing a large object like a fork is extremely rare. He expressed surprise upon first hearing of the case, initially doubting its validity due to the patient's limited Turkish, which could have led to misunderstandings. However, an X-ray confirmed the presence of a fork in her esophagus.
He emphasized that esophageal injuries can be life-threatening and expressed concern over the situation, but endoscopy revealed no serious injuries. The fork's large size made it unsuitable for endoscopic removal, necessitating a strategy to access it through an abdominal incision.
Dr. Edizsoy mentioned plans to present the case to the scientific community, noting that while there are many documented cases of foreign body ingestion, instances involving unusual objects like this fork are scarce. He concluded by stating that the patient's recovery was a relief, despite the high risk involved.
