Foreign body retained in the esophagus for more than a decade: thoracic esophagotomy for retrieval

A foreign body (FB) lodged in the esophagus is not uncommon. Although endoscopic removal is successful in the majority of cases, it could prove to be difficult in those whose foreign bodies are large or have been incarcerated for a long time. We describe the case of a 23-year-old woman who had a FB in her esophagus for at least 13 years. She became symptomatic 2 years before presentation, but presented for treatment when dysphagia to both solids and liquids developed. Endoscopic retrieval of the incarcerated FB was unsuccessful, and she eventually required thoracotomy and esophagotomy for its extraction.