To investigate the clinical application value of rigid bronchoscopy combined with flexible bronchoscopy in the removal of bronchial foreign bodies.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 59 patients with bronchial foreign bodies admitted to our hospital from January 2010 to June 2024. Foreign bodies were removed using rigid bronchoscopy combined with flexible bronchoscopy. Clinical data were collected to compare the types, locations, endoscopic findings, removal methods, and prognosis of the bronchial foreign bodies.

Among the 59 patients, there were 41 males and 18 females, aged 2 to 87 years. The longest duration of a foreign body was 27 years, and the shortest was 1 day. Clinical presentations included recurrent pneumonia in 16 cases (27.12%), hemoptysis in 6 cases (10.17%) and asymptomatic discovery via imaging in 8 cases (13.56%). Endoscopy revealed varying degrees of airway stenosis accompanying the foreign body in 58 cases (98.31%), with no stenosis in 1 case (1.69%). Types of foreign bodies included bony objects in 18 cases, plant-based objects in 17 cases (chili pepper, peanut, melon seed, soybean), metal objects in 5 cases (suona mouthpiece, long steel nail), plastic objects in 5 cases (whistle, ballpoint pen cap), teeth or dentures in 4 cases, pills/drug capsules in 2 cases, and medical glue, earplug, and activated charcoal in 1 case each. Five cases involved foreign bodies of unknown nature. The longest foreign body was a fish bone, measuring 6.0 cm. Diagnosis was confirmed by chest CT and flexible bronchoscopy. Successful removal was achieved in 58 cases (98.31%), with 1 case not removed. Among the 58 successful cases, a single interventional technique was used in 41 cases: biopsy forceps 21 cases, cryoextraction with CO₂ 4 cases, snare 8 cases, foreign body forceps 4 cases, foreign body basket 3 cases, rigid forceps 2 cases. Two interventional techniques were used in 14 cases, and three or more techniques were used in 4 cases.

The application of rigid bronchoscopy combined with flexible bronchoscopy for the treatment of bronchial foreign bodies allows for rapid removal, alleviation of airway stenosis, and improvement of clinical symptoms. It is efficient, safe, has a high success rate, and holds promising clinical application prospects.