Intestinal Obstruction Secondary to Intra-Luminal Retained Laparotomy Towel: A Case Report

Abstract

Retained surgical sponges (gossypiboma) are very rare but occur even under the presumed correct sponge counts postoperatively. Gossypiboma has the ability to cause significant harm to the patient and carry heartfelt medicolegal and professional repercussions to clinicians and hospitals. Its mani-festations may be non-specific and may take weeks, months or even years from the time of surgery. Therefore, diagnosis is based on a high index of suspicion with careful assessment of the patient’s history, physical examination, and investigation. Retained sponges may extrude externally through a fistulous tract or internally into the rectum, vagina, bladder, intestinal lumen or through direct migration; however, intra-luminal migration is relatively rare. It is in consonance with this rarity that we report a case of an intestinal obstruction secondary to an intra-luminal foreign body. Intra-operative findings revealed a laparotomy towel accidentally left behind during a laparotomy for a ruptured acute appendicitis.