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Accidental finding of a toothpick in the porta hepatis during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a case report
Waleed Al-Khyatt1, Farhan Rashid, Syed Y Iftikhar
1Division of Upper GI Surgery, School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health, University of Nottingham, Royal Derby Hospital, Uttoxeter Road, Derby, DE22 3DT, UK. waleed.al-khyatt@nottingham.ac.uk.
Introduction:
Unintentional ingestion of a toothpick is not an uncommon event. Often the ingested toothpicks spontaneously pass through the gut without sequelae. However, serious complications can happen when these sharp objects migrate through the gastrointestinal wall.
Case Presentation:
In the current report, we describe the case of a 37-year-old Caucasian woman with an incidental finding of a toothpick in the porta hepatis during laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic gall stones.
Conclusion:
Toothpick ingestion is not an uncommon event and can predispose patients to serious complications. In this particular case, the toothpick was only discovered at the time of unrelated surgery. Therefore, it was important during surgery to exclude any related or missed injury to the adjacent structures by this sharp object.