An impacted denture in the oesophagus-an endoscopic or a surgical emergency-a case report

Accidentally swallowed dentures can lead to severe complications in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, an early detection and an effective therapeutic management are important. In the era of advanced endoscopy, though the primary treatment of an impacted foreign body in the oesophagus is an endoscopic removal, a primary surgical treatment is advised for dentures with sharp hooks. Also, a prolonged impaction of dentures with sharp hooks leads to an increase in the complication rates. We are reporting a case of accidentally swallowed denture. After the diagnosis of an impacted denture was made, upper GI endoscopy revealed that an endoscopic removal was not feasible and thus, a late surgical removal was performed in the form of a transhiatal oesophagectomy and reconstruction. This case highlights the importance of an early and preferred treatment in the form of a controlled surgical intervention as compared to an endoscopic extraction for patients with impacted dentures with sharp hooks.