Reddy RT, Vaithiyam V, Hussain GZ, Arul Y, Sonika U, Dalal A, Srivastava S, Sachdeva S. Successful endoscopic fragmentation and removal of an impacted esophageal denture: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2026; 14(22): 121636 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.121636]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Venkatesh Vaithiyam, DM, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, New Delhi 110002, Delhi, India. venkateshvaithiyam172@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
case-report
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Reddy RT, Vaithiyam V, Hussain GZ, Arul Y, Sonika U, Dalal A, Srivastava S, Sachdeva S. Successful endoscopic fragmentation and removal of an impacted esophageal denture: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2026; 14(22): 121636 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.121636]
Ravi Teja Reddy, Venkatesh Vaithiyam, Gundluru Zakeer Hussain, Yokesh Arul, Ujjwal Sonika, Ashok Dalal, Siddharth Srivastava, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Department of Gastroenterology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi 110002, Delhi, India
Author contributions: Reddy RT and Vaithiyam V wrote the original draft; Vaithiyam V, Sonika U, and Sachdeva S contributed to the conceptualization, writing, reviewing, and editing; Hussain GZ, Arul Y, Dalal A and Vaithiyam V participated in drafting the manuscript; Vaithiyam V, Srivastava S, and Sachdeva S performed the final review of the manuscript; all authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: Portions of this manuscript were edited using AI tools (PaperPal) solely for language refinement. The authors carefully reviewed and verified all AI-assisted outputs and take full responsibility for the scientific content of the manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this report and the accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Venkatesh Vaithiyam, DM, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, New Delhi 110002, Delhi, India. venkateshvaithiyam172@gmail.com
Received: March 30, 2026 Revised: June 21, 2026 Accepted: June 30, 2026 Published online: August 6, 2026 Processing time: 127 Days and 19.6 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Ingested dental prostheses are uncommon but clinically significant foreign bodies of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Their large size, rigidity, and metallic clasps increase the likelihood of mucosal embedding, failed en bloc extraction, and complications such as ulceration and perforation.
CASE SUMMARY
A 67-year-old man presented with acute-onset dysphagia that had persisted for 7 days after accidental denture ingestion. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the chest showed diffuse thickening of the mid-esophageal wall without any evidence of a foreign body. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed an impacted denture located 27 cm from the upper incisors, accompanied by surrounding edema. Initial extraction attempts using rat-tooth forceps, a snare, and alligator forceps were unsuccessful. Consequently, controlled fragmentation was undertaken. A thulium laser was used to cut approximately one-third of the denture, followed by further fragmentation with a clutch cutter. The resulting fragments were then removed with a retrieval basket. Repeat endoscopy showed a localized ulcer at the previous impaction site without signs of active bleeding or perforation. The patient recovered uneventfully.
CONCLUSION
For impacted dentures that cannot be safely removed en bloc, strategies such as endoscopic fragmentation and extraction can avoid surgery.
Core Tip: Impacted dentures represent high-risk esophageal foreign bodies because their metal clasps and irregular edges can become firmly embedded in the mucosa, making conventional retrieval with snares or forceps technically challenging and potentially hazardous. This case highlights a novel stepwise endoscopic strategy that incorporates thulium laser-assisted partial fragmentation, followed by definitive mechanical fragmentation using a clutch cutter and subsequent basket retrieval, thereby avoiding highly morbid surgical intervention. The findings demonstrate that the combined use of energy-assisted and mechanical fragmentation serves as an effective rescue technique for the management of complex denture impactions when standard retrieval techniques are unsuccessful.
