Impaction of a Rectal Foreign Body: What is the Final Approach Before Surgery?

Excerpt

To the Editor—We have read with great interest the article by Berghoff and Franklin,1 which reported a case of rectal foreign body that was successfully removed by a laparoscopic approach. Berghoff and Franklin discussed conservative transanal techniques to remove rectal foreign bodies, including the use of gynecologic forceps, urinary catheter, and vacuum extractor. They stated that a laparoscopic approach is a reasonable choice when those conservative techniques were unsuccessful. Indeed, previous literatures also have discussed that open laparotomy is inevitable if those conservative transanal approaches fail.2,3 However, there is another final approach to remove rectal foreign bodies before making any incisions on the patient, which is palpation and manipulation of rectal foreign bodies through the relaxed abdominal wall under spinal or general anesthesia. …