This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
Published on September 18, 2019, a disturbing case report in the British Medical Journal highlighted a serious medical error that left a 72-year-old man's false teeth stuck in his throat for eight days after surgery.
The patient was undergoing a routine surgery to remove a harmless lump in his abdominal wall, but the operating team failed to remove his dentures before the operation.
During his first return to the emergency room, doctors were unable to diagnose the problem and sent him home with a prescription for mouthwash, antibiotics, and steroids.
It wasn't until six days later, when the man returned to the hospital complaining of blood in his mouth and difficulties breathing and swallowing, that doctors finally discovered the cause of his symptoms.
A diagnostic procedure identified a semicircular object lying across his vocal cords, which had caused internal blistering and swelling.
The man was subsequently rushed into surgery to remove the false teeth, and the case has sparked calls for surgeons to ensure dentures are removed from patients before an operation.
Lead author Harriet Cunniffe, from James Paget Hospital in eastern England, emphasized the importance of this precaution, saying, 'In addition to reminding us of the risks of leaving dentures in during induction of anaesthesia when the Swiss cheese model of errors aligns, this case also highlights a number of important learning points.'
