Treatment of Upper Gastrointestinal Foreign Bodies with Different Endoscopic Instruments: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to compare the performance and safety of two types of endoscopic instruments, serrated biopsy forceps and foreign body retrieval forceps, for removing upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 143 cases from January 1, 2016, to December 1, 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on the instruments used: serrated biopsy forceps (48 cases) and foreign body retrieval forceps (95 cases). We collected data on patient demographics, retrieval success rates, postoperative complications, and characteristics of the foreign bodies. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: In the 143 cases, the serrated biopsy forceps group had 45 successful retrievals and 3 failures, while the foreign body retrieval forceps group had 82 successful retrievals and 13 failures. There were significant differences in the types and categories of successfully retrieved foreign bodies between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: Flexible endoscopic serrated biopsy forceps are effective for extracting elongated and small flat foreign bodies such as fish bones and poultry bones in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Due to their advantages in terms of cost and flexibility, serrated biopsy forceps can be given priority when considering the removal of such foreign bodies.