digestive disorders
Foreign Objects in the Rectum
Treatment of Rectal Foreign Objects
If the object can be felt, removal by rectal retractor If the object cannot be felt or seen, removal by surgery After removal, sigmoidoscopy a Local anesthesia and regional anesthesia is usually injected under the skin and lining of the anus to numb the area. The anus can then be spread wider with an instrument called a rectal retractor, and the object can be grasped and removed. Sometimes doctors give If a doctor cannot feel the objector if the object cannot be seen and removed through the anus, the doctor waits until the natural wave-like movements of the wall of the large intestine (called peristalsis) bring the object down, making removal possible. If the doctor is unable to remove the foreign body, the person is hospitalized and surgery is needed. During surgery, the person is given a regional or general Anesthesia and the object is gently moved toward the anus. Rarely, the rectum needs to be cut open to remove the object. After the object is removed, the doctor does a sigmoidoscopy (a flexible tube is inserted into the anus to view the lower portion of the large intestine, the rectum, and the anus) to determine whether the rectum has been perforated or otherwise injured. 