Things That Have Been Left in the Body After Surgery

We all trust the doctors that we attend to do the right thing but what happens if something goes wrong? There have been plenty of incidences when they have messed up during the surgery and people have been left with objects inside them. Here are some of the more unusual ones that have been discovered.

Sponges

If there is one item that routinely comes across the desk of a medical malpractice lawyer, it is the case of the missing sponge. Medical sponges have a terrible habit of going missing during surgery as they get soaked in blood and can appear invisible. When this happens, it is necessary to go back in and remove the sponge as it can cause an infection if left untreated. However, there have been cases where the sponge is absorbed into the body and tissue grows around it.

Clamps

This is a rare occurrence but it does happen. Metal medical equipment can go missing during surgery, especially if the team is working against a complication that has occurred. When it comes to surgery, there should be an equipment check carried out afterwards to ensure that nothing has been left behind. If something has been misplaced, it can be picked up quickly and fixed before it is too late. Clamps can fall into the area that is being worked on and dropped if they are trying to work with you quickly. Clamps are normally picked up quickly as they can poke into your internal organs and cause a lot of pain.

Needles

There is a saying, finding a needle in a haystack, which means that what you are looking for is hard to find. Now imagine you have dropped a needle during surgery and can’t find it. This is what can happen and it might not be noticed until it is too late. Needles are one of the worst items to be lost in the body as they are hard to find and they can do a lot of damage. In some cases, they might not be found until an autopsy is carried out.

Towels

In some cases, there have been times that full towels have been found in patients after surgery. It can be difficult to imagine how someone could lose an entire towel but it has happened. It was even made into an episode of Grey’s Anatomy as it was so unbelievable. When it comes to objects this large being left inside someone, you can’t help but wonder what was happening on the day of that surgery.

Swabs

This is another small item that is commonly left behind. There have been so many issues with swabs being left inside people, there is talk of changing the swabs to a biodegradable material that the body can absorb and remove. This has the potential to make surgery a bit safer and will prevent the need to have to send someone back in for more surgery to remove the swab. We think we can agree that this sounds like a much safer option for everyone involved.