The Sea Turtle was placed in dorsal recumbency, and the ventral neck prepped with povidone iodine solution.

The hook was manipulated from the oral cavity and a1.5 cm horizontal incision was made over the hook, in a skin groove.
The esophagus was exposed using a blunt dissection. 
The end of the hook could not be palpated because it was imbedded in the hyoid bone rostrally.

A 5 mm esophagotomy was made longitudinally using a #11 blade.
The hook was grasped with pin pullers and wiggled free of the hyoid bone.
the end of the hook was retracted caudally and the barb cut off with pin cutters.
The eye of the hook was grasped in the oral cavity, but could not be extracted because of the remaining bend in the hook could not be pulled around the hyoid apparatus.

The eye of the hook was cut off with pin cutters, and the hook extracted normograde through the esophagotomy.
The wound was flushed with sterile saline.

The esophagus was not closed primarily.  The subcutaneous tissues were closed with 3-0 maxon in a simple continuous pattern.
The skin was closed with 4-0 maxon in a intradermal pattern.

The turtle was anesthetized with Ketamine (180 mg) and Medetomidine (1800ug),
both given IV; and maintained on Sevoflurane for surgery.
This was reversed with Atipamezole (9000ug) given IM, then 9000 ug more given IV.
Then 4mg Butorphanol SQ post operatively.