An uncommon unintentionally retained foreign object (URFO): The retained surgical specimen

Abstract

Unintentionally Retained Foreign Objects (URFO) are an uncommon, but significant type of patient harm. Retained surgical specimens are new entities that accompanied the surge of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Despite being rare sentinel events, they are associated with increased morbidity, healthcare cost, and liability. We present a case of a retained surgical specimen, identified after surgical closure but before patient extubation, thanks to routine utilization of end-of-procedure checklists.