South Yorkshire Times November 8, 1947

Goldthorpe Man Who Swallowed False Teeth

Lucky To Be Alive

luckiest man in Mexborough today is 31 years old Goldthorpe ex-soldier, Mr Douglas Preece, 32, Washington Road, now convalescent in Montagu hospital after an extremely delicate operation, the removal of his artificial dentures which had become jammed in his gullet.

Jammed near Lung

Mr Preece was eating some shepherd’s pie at home last month when he found that his set of two artificial front teeth were missing, He was admitted to Montagu Hospital where It was found that the dentures had he become jammed in his gullet behind the root of the lung.

He was transferred to Barnsley Beckett hospital and subsequently to Sheffield Royal Infirmary where the operation to remove the dentures war performed by a surgeon who is also a consultant at the Montagu hospital. The surgeon found it necessary to open the man’s chest to do this.

The operation, the “South Yorkshire Times ” understands, is one which carries a very high mortality incidence, but the operation was successfully performed and thanks to the skill of the surgeon Mr. Priest has made a very good recovery.

He remained at Sheffield Royal Infirmary for 16 days, and was readmitted to Montagu Hospital eon – on Monday for his period of convalescence.