Unforeseen Acute Complication Following Foreign Body Retrieval from Airway: Significance of Check Bronchoscopy

Foreign body (FB) aspiration is a very common problem in the pediatric age-group which leads to the high incidence of morbidity and mortality.Most foreign bodies are organic and during bronchoscopic retrieval they may break into pieces, and some part of it may slip into the airway while the surgeon may not be aware of it.We report a case of an organic foreign body in the airway of a two-year-old child.During bronchoscopic retrieval, FB broke into two pieces, and one piece entered the bronchus of the opposite side.It drew the attention of an anesthetist and surgeon when a child developed an immediate complication.Hence, a bilateral check bronchoscopy is suggested following retrieval of the foreign body from the airway to rule out other FB or slipped parts of the foreign body to avoid further complications.