322 retained foreign objects left inside NHS patients after operations

A recent BBC report has revealed that over the last 4 years there have been hundreds of NHS patients nationwide who have retained foreign objects after operation.

In total 322 cases of Retained Foreign Body surgical errors were uncovered. Retained Foreign Bodies (RFBs) are objects which are left behind by the surgical team after closure. Common RFBs include: surgical implements, surgical mesh or cotton padding that can all be accidentally left inside the patient after surgical closure.
 
Objects left inside the body after operation are dangerous because of the inflammatory response from the body which can result in an abscess which causing obstructions of the bowl, perforations or fistulisation. All of these symptoms cause considerable pain and discomfort for the patient. On top of this 69% of RFBs require re-operation or the management of the complication, such as pain medication.

There are also cases where these surgical objects, such as surgical sponge, have migrated to another part of the body and caused considerable harm. There was a case in the USA where a piece of surgical sponge migrated to a patient’s lung and caused a pulmonary embolism.
 
Sponges and cotton left in a patient can also cause misdiagnosis since they can bear resemblance to small primary tumors with certain imaging techniques such as x-ray.

With all of these consequences in mind it is no wonder that the BBC grouped Retained Foreign Bodies in their list of ‘never' events. These are mistakes that should never, ever happen, not accidents or slips but cases of malpractice.