Retained surgical item (Gossypiboma): a case report and literature review.

UNLABELLED: Retained surgical item is a known incidental surgical complication that is a mass of a sponge. This cotton matrix is left behind in the body cavity after surgical procedures. It is an incidental, rare medical error.

CASE PRESENTATION: Here, the authors present a case of a 30-year-old woman who had undergone a cesarean section 2 months ago and presented with the cardinal symptoms of small bowel obstruction. A computerized abdominal tomography (CT) scan showed a well-defined tubular hyperdense structure adherent to the anterior abdominal wall that exerts a mass effect on the adjacent small bowel loops. Following the computerized abdominal tomography results, an exploratory laparotomy resection and anastomosis of a small segment of the ileum were performed. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the patient has remained disease-free to date.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Because it is not anticipated, and its clinical manifestations are variable, it is frequently misdiagnosed, and often unnecessary radical surgical procedures are performed.

CONCLUSION

It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any postoperative case with an unresolved or unusual presentation.