04 November,2026 07:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Hemal Ashar
(From left) Dr Raosaheb Rathod, patient Rajendra Malusare with wife and daughter, and Sandip Joshi, head, Medicover Hospitals Centre
It looked to be business as usual for rickshaw driver Rajendra Malusare, who on September 29, awoke at his usual time at home and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Malusare lives in Shiravali village near the Pen-Khopoli Rd.
Yet, what seemed to be a routine morning took a scary turn when the 53-year-old accidentally swallowed his toothbrush while brushing his teeth. Said Malusare, "I brush my teeth and used to clean my tongue too using the toothbrush. Suddenly, the brush I was using on my tongue slipped and went down my throat. It had gone some way, and I was trying to remove it, but in vain. I shouted (my voice did not come out strongly) for help, and fortunately my daughter arrived to see what was the matter. I explained through actions what had happened, and my daughter tried to remove the brush, putting a hand inside my mouth. Yet, she could not. Minutes went by with both of us trying to remove the toothbrush."
The toothbrush that Rajendra Malusare swallowed
Though scared, the family kept their wits and finally rushed to a neighbour's home, who took them to a doctor. After visiting one doctor's clinic, the toothbrush remained lodged, and Malusare was taken to the Medicovers Hospital in Navi Mumbai.
An image of the toothbrush lodged in the stomach. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
"This was a very unusual medical emergency," said the medical team at a press conference held at the Medicover Hospitals in Navi Mumbai, yesterday (Tuesday) morning. A team led by Dr Raosaheb Rathod, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist and Therapeutic Endoscopist at Medicover Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, swung into action.
Said Dr Rathod at the conference, "The patient reached Medicover Hospitals approximately three to four hours after swallowing the toothbrush with mild abdominal pain. Given the unusual nature of the incident, we conducted further evaluation, and an endoscopy confirmed that a 19 cm (approximately 7 inches) toothbrush was lodged inside the patient's stomach. A toothbrush is a long, rigid object that can be difficult to manoeuvre through the digestive tract and may cause injury or become stuck at its narrower passages."
Dr Raosaheb Rathod holds the toothbrush in his hand as patient Rajendra Malusare and Sandip Joshi, Medicover Hospitals Centre Head, look on
Dr Rathod added, "We planned to remove it through a 30-minute endoscopic procedure. The procedure was challenging because the toothbrush was hard, straight and lying horizontally in the stomach, making it difficult to grasp and manoeuvre through the natural curves of the digestive tract. We used a hood attached to the tip of the endoscope to hold one end of the toothbrush and carefully pull it out.
The patient was under Short General Anesthesia. However, it became stuck at the gastroesophageal junction, where the stomach meets the food pipe. Through repeated manoeuvres and changes in the patient's position, we managed to guide it past this junction. The toothbrush then became stuck near the upper oesophageal sphincter and postcricoid region in the throat. Since the object was rigid and could not bend to follow the natural curves of the food pipe, removing it required further careful manoeuvring before we could successfully extract it intact through the mouth."
A follow-up endoscopy confirmed that there was no injury to the upper or lower oesophageal sphincters. The patient's symptoms improved, and after observation in the recovery room, he was discharged in stable condition within three to four hours of the procedure.
Thanking the doctors and all his well-wishers, including his family of wife and two daughters, Malusare said, "I was taken into the Operation Theatre (OT) at 2.40 pm that day, and home by late evening. I am so thankful for the good outcome. Today, I use the toothbrush only to clean my teeth, not my tongue. I was scared I would be unable to breathe when this happened. I am thankful to God and everybody else who helped me that I can see another Diwali," he concluded.
Doctors said that many people accidentally swallow fish bones, toothpicks, or even chikoo seeds and need immediate attention. However, swallowing an entire toothbrush is a rare and frightening incident. Delayed treatment can raise the chances of complications such as gut lumen obstruction and perforation.
Doctors advise people who accidentally swallow a toothbrush or another large foreign object to seek immediate medical attention rather than attempting home remedies. Inducing vomiting or trying to push the object down with food may cause injury to the throat or food pipe, bleeding, or cause the object to become more firmly lodged. Timely intervention is key to ensuring patient safety.
