The management of acute oesophageal obstruction from a food bolus. Can we be more conservative?

The objective was to assess the number of patients with acute oesophageal bolus obstruction that resolves spontaneously and to aid the identification of the best practice. This prospective and retrospective case series study at a teaching hospital and a district general hospital in Scotland, UK, involved 37 patients with acute oesophageal obstruction from a food bolus who were observed for 24 h from the beginning of symptoms. The bolus passed spontaneously in 54% of the patients during the observational period. A short observational period following the admission of patients with acute food bolus obstruction is reasonable as it may reduce exposure to surgical morbidity and decrease inpatient stay.