What Is The Risk Of Bowel Perforation With A Swallowed Fishbone?

Posted on Mon, 7 Apr 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 7 Apr 2014 Answered on

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi. Doctor. 3 weeks ago, I actually swallowed fish bone (2 or 3cm) with food. So I did endorscope 2 days after swalloweing bone. But there was nothing. But what I concern is whehter fish bone got stuck in bowel (before perforation) or not. According to the article, the average date from digestion to perforation is 10day.. Exceptionally 1month or 2-3month is possible... After read article, I did x-ray, but cannot find out bones. Do you think is it possible to get stuck in bowel anyplace? How can I know it is finished or got stuck... If it stuck in small bowel, is it going to perforate the bowel? I know it is very rare to perforate the bowel but it happen? (I don't know the reason...) Thanks you very much....

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (8 hours later)

Brief Answer: Hi and welcome to HCM Detailed Answer: The risk of bowel perforation with 2-3cm of fishbone which was swalowed 3 weeks ago,is negligible. This is not something that should worry. people swallow fish bones and other even bigger bones and sotmime they dont even notice it.an din most cases nothing happens. ocassionaly there is throat irritation and pain or heartburn in first few hours after intake,but bowel perofration is extremely rare scenario and it happens usually within first week. later that this,perforations are rarity. Fish bone usually become incorpotated in feces. also it become more or less smaller and dissolved by digestional enzymes. even if it stuck somewhere it will just lay on bowel mucosa and it is not likely that it will perpendiculary perforate bowel since our organism uses mechanisms to avoid this and every bowel irritation causes hypeperistalis and water secretion which pushes foreign body distally. So all in all you should not be concerned.Of course, if you fell sudden sharp pain-go to ER,but dont be hypohodnriac and alert every abdominal discomfort. symptoms of bowel peroration are very obvious. WIsh you good health. Feel free to ask. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (2 hours later)

Thank you very much for your kind answer. This is my last question. I learned it is very rare and it happens almost within 1st week after swallowing fishbone. What I want to know, in case of bowel perforation after 1 or 2month, is there any special reason? (older people, or bowel problem or etc...) or other reason.... Thank you in advance

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (19 hours later)

Brief Answer: hi Detailed Answer: well it is usually seen associated with some chronic or local bowel diseases such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, coeliac, chronic opstipation. But even in these condition,risk of perforation is still negligible and it is more like lottery; there must coincidence that fish bone is stuck peprendiculary to bowel wall and it must be free of feces and then bowel perostalsis must occur exactly on place where fish bone is stuck-even even perforation occur it is usually so small that defect in bowel wall is healed with no symptoms for patient. our digestive system was simply created to be able to handle with foreign body swallowing especially with natural food.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar