Don't let your long weekend barbecue plans end up in a trip to the emergency department.

The Medical Director of the Surgical Program for Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach is warning backyard chefs to make sure your grill is wiped down before placing food on top.

Dr. Galessiere says there is a danger in using wire-bristled brushes to scrub clean your grill. He notes what can happen is those tiny wires can fall off the brush and sit on your grill. They can then stick to your food and be swallowed when you take a bite.

"When you swallow, these wires can embed themselves to the soft tissues of mouth, throat, the larynx, the esophagus and even further down the intestinal tract," warns Dr. Galessiere.

And, Dr. Galessiere speaks from experience. On more than one occasion, he has had a patient who needed to have one of these tiny wires removed after ingesting.

"One case we spent I'd say about forty-five minutes looking for this and eventually finding it right next to the larynx," he recalls. "And then we were able to remove it."

Dr. Galessiere says the consequences can be more than just painful. He says if the wire penetrates through the wall of the intestinal lining, it can lead to infection, surgery and complications.

Dr. Galessiere suggests if you have other options, to rather use a different method to clean your grill. If you continue to use the wire-bristled brush, he says it is important to make sure there are no wires left behind on the grill, suggesting wiping it down with a cloth might be a good idea.