Coins in the Esophagus. What is the Best Management?

In order to compare esophagoscopy to the Foley catheter method of removing coins from the esophagus, we reviewed our results with 136 esophagoscopies performed to remove coins during a 15-year period. Fifty-two percent of the patients were under two years of age and 29% were under one year. One hundred and twenty-seven patients had no problems from the anesthesia or the esophagoscopy. Complications related to the endotracheal tube and exacerbations of pre-existing respiratory illnesses occurred in 9 patients. There were no deaths or esophageal perforations. Our results are compared to the published results from the Foley catheter method. In our opinion, esophagoscopy is the procedure of choice for all children with coins in the esophagus.