Six-month-old baby receives surgery months after swallowing package of staples

A six-month-old baby underwent surgery at Assuta Ashdod Medical Center to remove a packet of staples swallowed months prior. The baby's parents had sought medical treatment for about 1.5 months due to persistent coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and later vomiting, which did not improve with initial treatments. An X-ray at the hospital's emergency department revealed the staples lodged in the baby's esophagus, some having pierced the wall.

“The baby arrived at our hospital after a long period of coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing that did not go away despite the treatments he received,"

said Dr. Chani Oliveston, director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit. A complex 90-minute procedure, involving multiple medical teams, successfully removed all the staples. The prolonged presence of the staples caused local damage, swelling, inflammation, and infection, requiring post-operative treatment with antibiotics, acidity reducers, steroids, and inhalations, with initial tube feeding to aid esophageal recovery. Dr. Oliveston emphasized that persistent symptoms in babies should prompt continued investigation for foreign objects.