Implant screwdriver aspiration during dental procedure at a geriatric patient: a case report

Abstract

The aim of this case report is to present a geriatric patient who had aspirated an implant screwdriver. An 82-year-old male patient involuntarily closed his mouth during the healing cap placement phase of implant treatment, and the implant screwdriver disappeared through the pharynx. As the patient exhibited no signs of airway obstruction, it was considered that the implant screwdriver might have passed into the gastrointestinal tract. However, no foreign object was detected in the esophageal mucosa. Therefore, the procedure was repeated using C arm fluoroscopy for guidance. The examination revealed the presence of the implant screwdriver in the bifurcation of the left lower lobe bronchus, which was confirmed by posterior-anterior chest radiography. The following day, the patient underwent a flexible bronchoscopy, however the screwdriver could not be retrieved during the procedure. Further treatment was refused by the patient. After one month, the implant screwdriver was expelled through the gastrointestinal tract. At the three-year follow-up, there was no evidence of a late complication. Aspiration of screwdrivers and treatment failures of these complications are reported a small number of cases in the geriatric patients. Therefore, documentation of the rare cases is necessary to provide valuable information.