Retrieving multiple magnetic foreign bodies from the glottic entrance and stomach: A case report

Aspiration and ingestion of foreign bodies present a frequent challenge in pediatric anesthesia practice that requires careful planning of the time and the method of retrieval. We discuss the management of a 20-month-old boy who had ingested multiple small magnetic beads and presented emergently to the operating room with two beads lodged in the vallecula and eighteen more forming a chain in the stomach. Benefitting from their magnetic properties, the beads located close to the glottic entrance could be removed by placing a steel Magill forceps close to the objects and using magnetic pull rather than grasping. The beads in the stomach were removed en bloc due to their magnetic properties using an endoscopic retrieval basket. Small beads can be difficult to remove, however, in this case it was possible to utilize their magnetic properties during the removal process.