Emergency Laparotomy and Enterotomy for Small Bowel Obstruction Following the Ingestion of a Removable Partial Denture (RPD)

Abstract

Swallowing foreign bodies are surprisingly common. They rarely cause harm. Those that do because harm can result in serious consequences. We report a rare case where a denture was ingested and resulted in small bowel obstruction, requiring urgent surgical intervention. A patient swallowed his denture whilst eating his food. He attended hospital with mild bloating and had an X-ray which failed to identify any foreign body but identified areas of dilated bowel. A CT scan identified the foreign body and recognized it was impacted, causing small bowel obstruction. The patient required urgent surgery. Small bowel obstruction following the ingestion of a foreign body is extremely rare. The reason it occurred in this patient is because the material of the foreign body which embedded into the mucosa of the small bowel. This should have been detected on the initial X-ray; however, it wasn’t until the patient had a CT scan of his abdomen when the extent of his condition was established. With an ageing population and an increase of dentures and partial dentures, it may be that the presentation becomes more common in the future. This report highlights the importance of early identification and managing these patients.