Laser assisted removal of an embedded foreign body in the colon

A 75 year-old woman was referred due to lower abdominal ain of 3 weeks’ duration, poorly responsive to antibiotic/antinflammatory treatment, and a suspicion of diverticulitis. Computed tomography (CT) scan, performed before and after ontrast medium administration with colon-CT protocol, after ntroduction of water into the colon, identified a 4 cm foreign body f elongated shape with bone density and pointed ends nailed into olon walls (Fig. 1, Supplementary Fig. S1). At sigmoidoscopy, the bone appeared firmly stuck across the olon walls and could not be dislodged with common devices. The bone was divided into 2 parts by using a laser source contact echnique (Diode laser Dornier) at 30 Watts, delivering a total of 60 J.