It went in easily. So, you figure, it should come out the same way. If you or your child has inserted a foreign object in your rectum, however, removing it yourself could cause permanent damage.
While you may feel embarrassed by your situation, don’t let that stop you from getting the emergency care you need. Our colorectal experts at Colon and Rectal Surgeons of Greater Hartford have encountered many people in your situation.
If you try to remove an object and it doesn’t easily slide out on its own, call us right away. Although we have offices in Bloomfield, South Windsor, and Plainville, Connecticut, we meet you at your local emergency room (ER).
Although the situation that led to the stuck object may have been all in good fun, or part of sex play, once an object is in your anus and doesn’t come out easily on it’s own, you’re in the middle of a medical emergency. Call us immediately and head to the ER.
In rare cases, the object lodged in your rectum never even went in through your anus. Children or incapacitated adults, especially, may swallow objects that pass through their digestive system and then get caught in their rectums.
Objects that could get stuck through swallowing include:
If you try to remove these objects yourself, you could permanently damage the rectal wall and muscles. No matter how the object found its way in your rectum, get emergency medical care as soon as possible.
Most of the time, you’re aware of the situation that lodged an object in your rectum. However, if you swallowed the object, or if it was part of sex play or even a medical procedure (e.g., rectal temperature taking, or an enema) you may not realize at first what’s happened. In these cases, you may experience symptoms such as:
Some children don’t exhibit any symptoms. If you suspect your child or a person in your care has a foreign object in their rectum, contact us right away and go to your nearest ER.
When you come to our offices for help with dislodging a foreign object in the rectum, we first conduct a physical exam. The exam includes palpating your rectum with a gloved finger.
We use imaging studies to determine the object’s exact location. We also ask you questions about how the incident occurred. We test your blood to see if the object has caused an infection.
Again, there’s no reason to feel ashamed or embarrassed. We’re professionals and know that accidents happen for all kinds of reasons. Our focus is on removing the object promptly so you can get relief and avoid complications.
Whenever possible, we remove the object without invasive treatments. We may administer muscle relaxants so that we can remove it with a surgical grasping tool, with or without the aid of a rectal retractor. Before we start, we administer an anesthetic so you don’t feel pain.
If we can’t manually remove the object, we may recommend either transanal endoscopy or minimally invasive surgery to dislodge and remove it. After we remove the foreign object, we then examine your rectal canal with a sigmoidoscope to assess and repair any damage.
Don’t delay emergency treatment for an object in your rectum. Head to the ER and contact a specialist at Colon and Rectal Surgeons of Greater Hartford by calling 860-242-8591 or the office nearest you.
