A Novel Approach to Oropharyngeal Foreign Body Removal

Abstract

Grill wire brush bristle foreign bodies most commonly embed in the oropharynx. Often these bristles can be removed in the clinic; however, on occasion, the patient requires general anesthesia for retrieval because of the gag reflex and difficulty with access and visualization. We report here on 2 cases of patients who underwent successful transoral robotic surgical retrieval of wire bristles from the base of tongue after unsuccessful direct laryngoscopy. Otolaryngologists should be aware of the use of robotic assistance for oropharyngeal foreign body retrieval.