Vietnam man suffers esophageal perforation after swallowing rice to dislodge fish bone

A 35-year-old man from Bac Ninh, Vietnam, suffered an esophageal perforation after attempting a common folk remedy to treat a fish bone stuck in his throat. While eating river catfish hotpot, the man became lodged with a sharp bone. In an attempt to push the bone down, he swallowed a large ball of rice, which instead drove the bone deeper into his tissue.

Initial examinations at private clinics and subsequent endoscopies failed to locate the object. However, upon being transferred to the National Hospital of Otorhinolaryngology, a CT scan revealed that the bone had pierced through the esophagus and embedded itself into the soft tissues of the neck, including the area near the thyroid gland. This caused localized infection and threatened surrounding structures.

Surgeons faced difficulties during the procedure because the bone was very thin and shifted from its original position recorded on the CT scan. Doctors successfully removed the bone and preserved the surrounding tissues. Medical professionals advise that when a sharp object is suspected, patients should seek professional medical help rather than attempting to swallow food to dislodge it, as CT scans may be necessary when standard endoscopies fail to find the object.