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A 20-Year-Old Gossypiboma Causing Small Bowel Obstruction
Rema Alrashed1, Hussam AlHarbi2, Basmah A Alanazi1
1General Surgery, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus
|April 17, 2023
Summary
Retained surgical sponges, known as gossypiboma, can cause severe complications like intestinal obstruction years later. Careful surgical instrument management is crucial to prevent these rare but serious retained foreign body events.
Area of Science:
- Medical Case Study
- Surgical Complications
- Abdominal Surgery
Background:
- Retained foreign bodies, including gossypiboma (surgical sponge), can remain asymptomatic for extended periods.
- Gossypiboma is infrequently reported due to non-specific clinical and radiological presentations and ethical considerations.
Observation:
- A case of a gossypiboma retained for over 20 years is presented in an elderly female patient.
- The gossypiboma led to a severe intestinal obstruction, initially misdiagnosed as adhesive obstruction.
Findings:
- Exploratory laparotomy revealed the gossypiboma adhered to the root of the mesentery, posterior to the transverse colon.
- The foreign body was successfully removed, resolving the intestinal obstruction.
Implications:
- This case highlights the potential for long-term complications from retained surgical materials.
- Emphasizes the critical need for meticulous surgical instrument counts and patient safety protocols to prevent gossypiboma formation.
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