Found "This" in Hospital After Surgery Due to Abdominal Pain... Part of Intestine Removed

Surgical gauze was discovered inside a woman's abdomen after she visited a hospital due to persistent abdominal pain. This case has been reported in an international medical journal.

According to the international journal Clinical Case Reports, on March 30, surgical staff at Square Hospital in Bangladesh performed an operation to remove surgical gauze from the abdomen of a 27-year-old woman.

According to the medical team, the woman had given birth to a child via cesarean section four months earlier. After the delivery, she experienced persistent pain in her lower abdomen, and as her symptoms worsened over time, she sought medical attention.

Surgical gauze removed from a woman's body. Clinical case report capture

원본보기 아이콘

The medical staff confirmed 'tenderness,' a pain response upon applying pressure to the patient’s lower left abdomen, and reported feeling a mass when pressing directly on the affected area.

The hospital immediately conducted a CT (computed tomography) scan. The examination revealed an oval-shaped lesion in the left lower abdomen. The medical team determined that the lesion was surgical gauze left inside the body after the previous operation and decided to surgically remove it.

The surgical gauze remaining inside the woman's abdomen had compressed part of her intestine, causing necrosis, and had subsequently migrated into the intestinal tract. During the removal procedure, pus and other accumulated fluids were discharged, indicating a severe condition. The medical team also performed a subsequent operation to resect the necrotic segment of the intestine.

Fortunately, the woman was discharged on the seventh day after surgery without any notable complications or pain.

It is reported that cases of surgical gauze being left inside a patient and causing abdominal pain occur at a rate of approximately 1 in 1,000 to 1,500 abdominal surgeries. When gauze remains in the body, it can lead to the formation of pus and increase the risk of complications such as peritonitis.

The medical team who performed the surgery stated, "Gossypiboma is an unintentional occurrence, but it is a completely preventable surgical complication," emphasizing, "Medical staff must meticulously follow standardized procedures for counting surgical materials during operations and thoroughly check for any foreign objects before closing the surgical site."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.