Laparotomy-Assisted Transoral Foreign Body Retrieval in Small Animals: 10 Cases (2018-2020)

Small intestinal foreign bodies can often be manually manipulated orad into the stomach, or aborad into the colon during exploratory laparotomy. While the former allows for gastrotomy in lieu of enterotomy, the latter obviates need for incision in the gastrointestinal tract altogether. In this report, we provide novel description of a technique to remove foreign material from the stomach per os following extraluminal manipulation during surgery. This is achieved using a grasping instrument introduced via orogastric tube. The described laparotomy-assisted transoral foreign body retrieval is an effective alternative to gastrotomy in certain cases. This technique is less invasive and may be associated with shorter operative time and decreased morbidity compared to procedures requiring incision into the gastrointestinal tract.