Retained foreign bodies following intra-abdominal surgery

Area of Science:

• Abdominal Surgery
• Surgical Complications
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Retained foreign bodies in the abdominal cavity after surgery represent an underestimated, ongoing clinical challenge.
• Despite adherence to safety protocols, the actual incidence of retained surgical items is believed to be significantly higher than reported.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the outcomes of surgical treatment for 24 consecutive patients with retained abdominal foreign bodies over a 10-year period.
• To analyze the clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, and management of these cases.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of consecutive patients diagnosed with a foreign body post-abdominal surgery.
• Data collection included patient demographics, initial surgery details, time to diagnosis, foreign body type, clinical presentation, and management outcomes.
• Morbidity, mortality, and reintervention rates were analyzed, along with preventive measures.

Main Results:

• All 24 patients presented with symptoms, including intra-abdominal sepsis, fistulas, obstruction, pain, sinus tracts, and palpable masses.
• Pre-operative diagnosis was achieved in 15 cases using imaging techniques like radiography, ultrasound, and computed tomography (CT).
• Morbidity was observed in 50% of patients, with an 18% reintervention rate and an almost 10% mortality rate.

Conclusions:

• Retained abdominal foreign bodies manifest with diverse symptoms, ranging from mild pain to severe sepsis and obstruction.
• Although rare, retained surgical items pose significant risks, leading to high morbidity and mortality.
• Effective prevention strategies are paramount to addressing this serious complication of abdominal surgery.