Swallowed toothbrush removed by endoscopy in Navi Mumbai case

A 19-centimetre toothbrush swallowed by a 50-year-old man in Maharashtra was removed through endoscopy without open surgery, according to a published report drawing on the patient’s account and the treating team. The case illustrates why an apparently reassuring initial X-ray may not settle whether a plastic object has been swallowed.

The man sought medical care after the accident and was referred from the Pen area to a hospital in Navi Mumbai. Endoscopy located the brush in the stomach. The treating team told the broadcaster that the procedure took about 30 minutes and that moving the rigid object safely through narrower sections required particular care.

Doctors reported checking again for injury after removal, observing the patient and discharging him later the same day once his condition was stable. That outcome belongs to this individual case. It is not evidence that all long objects can be removed in the same way or that anyone who swallows one can safely wait at home.

The clinical advice in the report is to seek prompt hospital assessment after swallowing a large object, rather than inducing vomiting or trying to force it down with food. Treatment depends on the object’s position and the patient’s condition. The image is an oral-care illustration, not the patient, procedure or recovered brush.