Removal of blunt esophageal foreign bodies by flexible endoscopy without general anesthesia

Twenty-three pediatric patients with blunt esophageal foreign bodies underwent flexible endoscopic removal without general anesthesia. No object was in place longer than 14 days. In 18 patients the foreign body was successfully removed, while in five patients the object was dislodged into the stomach. All of the latter patients were encountered early in the series. No complications were encountered in any patients. This technique appears to be a safe alternative to other proposed methods of blunt esophageal foreign-body removal.