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  2. In which I compile a list of things that surgeons have left inside people

In which I compile a list of things that surgeons have left inside people

By chrisdrudge on January 16, 2008.

Gü;nd&#252z 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.

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Foreign Bodies

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- 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.

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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.

By GuyatUofTalso (not verified) on 19 Jan 2008 #permalink

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.