Current Thoracic Surgery

Esophageal foreign bodies are more common in children than in adults. However, in older individuals without teeth, food swallowed without thorough mastication can get lodged in the esophagus. Herein, we report the case of a 77-year-old woman who presented with severe dyspnea, dysphagia, and a globus sensation in her throat. The patient required intubation owing to progressive dyspnea and rapid peripheral saturation decrease and was found to have a foreign body lodged in her proximal esophagus, which was removed using McGill forceps under direct visualization. Subsequently, the patient was extubated and transferred to the ward. Complaints of dysphagia in older patients with mastication problems should prompt clinicians to consider foreign body impaction. The proximal esophagus is the most common site for foreign body entrapment. If left unmanaged, foreign bodies lodged in the upper gastrointestinal tract can cause serious life-threatening conditions. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment can help minimize potential risks.