Gündüz K, Celenk P, Kayipmaz S. An unusual foreign body (suturing needle) in the tonsillar region. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2004 Nov 15;5(4):148-54.
There's an awful lot of these.
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Kominami M, Fujikawa A, Tamura T, Naoi Y, Horikawa O. Retained surgical sponge in the thigh: report of the third known case in the limb. Radiat Med. 2003 Sep-Oct;21(5):220-2.
Surgical sponges have been left inside people with such frequency that they invented a word to describe it: gossypiboma.
Want more? Another case report.
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Reddy PK, Ramamoorthy R, Venkatsubramanian R, Muralidharan M. Laparoscopic removal of an artery forceps. JSLS. 2003 Jul-Sep;7(3):261-3.
This ain't no wussy needle or piece of gauze. We're talking about a sizable piece of medical instrumentation.
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Abid Q, Devbhandari M, Davies H, Carr M. Missing washer of the rib approximator? An easily overlooked foreign body. Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2003 Jun;2(2):108-10.
This is what a rib approximator looks like. It is used to help close the chest following thoracic/cardiac surgery.
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Rodrigues D, Perez NE, Hammer PM, Webber JD. Laparoscopic removal of a retained intra-abdominal ribbon malleable retractor after 14 years. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2006 Aug;16(4):369-71.
Near as I can tell, a ribbon malleable retractor is just a long flat piece of bendable metal that they use to pry open your innards.
Medicine & Health
Comments
In the UK comedy "cardiac arrest" there is an OR scene - the surgeon, Mr Docherty, is just finishing up...
- Swab count all correct, nurse?
- Yes, Mr Docherty.
- Hmm. If you'd been more careful last time we wouldn't have had to open him up again. I assume you remember, of course, that the count should be one higher, to include the swab we... oh dear.
Posted by: ajay | January 17, 2008 8:05 AM
I have heard this happens so they started counting everything they have at the beginning and count it again before closing. Sorry to hear that the system isn't fool proof!
Dave Briggs :~)
Posted by: Dave Briggs | January 17, 2008 4:32 PM
A surgeon should send a message to another via this method.
p.s. Chris, did you do your undergrad also at U of T? 2nd year Neuroscience here.
Posted by: GuyatUofTalso | January 19, 2008 9:42 AM
Ah, British comedy. That's the good stuff.
GuyatUofTalso, I did indeed do my undergrad at U of T. Double specialist in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Sweet, I got some U of T readers! I write this thing instead of studying in Gerstein all the time.
Posted by: Chris | January 19, 2008 11:58 PM