Transmigration of surgical gauze: A rare case of intraluminal gossypiboma

Abstract

Gossypiboma, a rare but significant complication of retained surgical gauze, can lead to considerable morbidity and presents diagnostic challenges. We describe the case of a 40-year-old female who presented with a 3-day history of generalized abdominal pain, accompanied by bilious vomiting and bowel obstruction. Her medical history included an open cholecystectomy 7 months earlier. An abdominal X-ray suggested a linear radioopaque foreign body, which was confirmed as gossypiboma by contrast-enhanced CT. During an exploratory laparotomy, a 30 × 30 cm surgical gauze was found within the ileum and successfully removed. This case highlights the ongoing risk of retained surgical items, even with modern advancements in surgical practice and technology. It underscores the importance of meticulous surgical technique, including accurate surgical counts, and adherence to standardized protocols. This case serves as a critical reminder for all surgical teams to maintain heightened vigilance throughout all phases of surgery.

Disclaimer: This article was originally published by WisdomGale Publishing, 14 Rue de Grand-Bigard, 1082 Brussels, Belgium, and was migrated to International Medical Publishing Group(IMPG), India, after the change of Publisher.