Mechanical small bowel obstruction from a loose linear cutter staple after laparoscopic appendectomy

Laparoscopic linear cutting staplers are commonplace in advanced laparoscopic techniques. Most of the loose staples are probably inert, but we present a case of a mechanical small bowel obstruction after a laparoscopic appendectomy. The etiology of the bowel obstruction was a loose linear cutter staple from the load that fired across the appendiceal stump. We recommend retrieving as many loose staples as possible with the laparoscopic grasper or suction at the termination of the laparoscopy.