Work

Gossypiboma: the failure of a successful intervention

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: If successful surgery is the primary quest of any surgeon, unintentionally leaving behind surgical items in the operative field remains his most feared obsession. This rare but dramatic accident can lead to potentially fatal complications and turn both lives of the surgeon and the patient upside down. We present the case of a 29-year-old female patient who presented to the ER with three days history of severe diffuse abdominal pain associated with fever, biological inflammatory syndrome and well-tolerated iron deficiency anaemia. She had no past medical history except for a lower segment cesarean section 5 months ago. Abdominal MRI allowed the diagnosis of two gossypibomas responsible for two intra-abdominal collections. An emergency laparotomy allowed the removal of these foreign bodies and the management of their serious complications of intestinal perforation by the construction of a double intestinal stoma. The patient made a post-operative uneventful recovery. This observation emphasizes the need to raise the practitioner´s awareness about this differential diagnosis in every case of any poorly localized abdominal pain occurring after surgery.

Source: Pan African Medical Journal

DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2020.36.335.25464

Authors: Atef Mejri, Khaoula Arfaoui, Badreddine Aloui, Jasser Yaakoubi

Institution: University of Jendouba

Language: English

Topic: Hemostasis and retained surgical items

Subfield: Hematology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $180