Pharyngo-esophageal Perforation Induced by Dental Implant Ingestion Immediately after Thoracic Surgery via Sternotomy: A Case Report

Abstract

Pharyngo-esophageal perforation is encountered rarely in routine clinical practice and can sometimes be complicated by severe deep neck infection or acute mediastinitis. Combined surgical procedures involving the neck and chest via sternotomy generally tend to be avoided because of risk of mediastinitis immediately postoperatively. We encountered a case of pharyngo-esophageal perforation by dental implant ingestion immediately after thoracic surgery via sternotomy. The patient was a 66-year-old woman with a chief complaint of a foreign body postoperatively. The foreign body was found around the cervical esophagus. Open neck surgery for removal of the foreign body and closure of the perforation was performed immediately. The foreign body was identified as a dental crown with a sharp metallic top and edge. In this case, no severe complications occurred despite the ingestion being immediately after thoracic surgery. This is likely because the patient was fit and stable enough to undergo open neck surgery under general anesthesia, and the foreign body was found and removed promptly. A tracheal stoma was not created so as to avoid contamination.