A 28-year-old woman from Rumst, Belgium, Reymy Amelinckx, was treated in hospital after she accidentally swallowed a 17 centimetre spoon while eating yoghurt at home. The incident occurred when her energetic Hungarian Vizsla “Marley” suddenly jumped on her, startling her as she had the spoon in her mouth to free her hands for typing a message on her phone. Caught by surprise, she involuntarily swallowed the utensil.
Amelinckx said she was sitting on her couch with a spoon of yoghurt when she placed the spoon in her mouth briefly to reply to a message. At that moment, her dog jumped on her, startling her so that she jerked her head and the spoon became lodged in her throat. In the split second of panic, she chose to swallow the spoon rather than risk choking on it. She initially felt no immediate distress and did not tell her boyfriend right away.
It was only after dinner that she realised the seriousness of having a large metal object inside her digestive tract. She researched the situation online and noted consistent advice to seek urgent medical attention. Realising the risk, she went to the emergency department of a hospital.
At the hospital, physicians determined that the 17 cm spoon was too large to pass naturally through the gastrointestinal tract and would require medical intervention. A gastroscopy, an endoscopic procedure involving a flexible tube and camera placed through the mouth into the stomach, was scheduled to retrieve the utensil. During the two-day wait for the procedure, Amelinckx reported feeling the spoon move inside her abdomen, sometimes between her ribs, along with bloating, nausea, and discomfort.
In the gastroscopy procedure, performed under local anaesthetic, doctors were able to extract the spoon from her stomach, though the extraction required rotation of the utensil inside her stomach, causing a minor gastric haemorrhage. Amelinckx described this as unpleasant but expressed relief that the spoon could be removed without the need for open surgery. No serious permanent damage was reported.
After the procedure, she experienced temporary soreness of the throat due to minor oesophageal damage and stomach sensitivity, but she recovered quickly and was discharged, returning to her usual activities shortly thereafter.
Amelinckx reported that the experience left her with a unique story and even a keepsake spoon. She said she decided to keep the spoon as a memento of the event, and her partner has discussed turning it into a work of art.
Ingestion of foreign bodies, objects not intended for swallowing can pose serious health risks depending on the size, shape, and composition of the item. Large or sharp objects can become lodged in the oesophagus, stomach, or intestines, potentially causing tissue injury, obstruction, perforation, bleeding, or infection.
Common medical practice in such situations includes imaging (e.g., X-ray) to locate the object, followed by endoscopic retrieval when feasible. Endoscopy allows doctors to visualise the digestive tract and use specialised tools to grasp and remove the foreign object. Endoscopic retrieval is generally preferred over surgery when possible because it is less invasive and has a lower risk profile.
(Rh)