Retained surgical sponges, a denied neurosurgical reality? Cautionary note (original) (raw)

Abstract

Surgically acquired foreign bodies are well known but not widely reported. Only seven articles pertaining to this subject were found in the current neurosurgical literature. Are they a denied neurosurgical reality? In this report with a concededly provoking title, the authors elucidate clinical and medicolegal aspects of retained surgical sponges, with emphasis on spinal procedures. To highlight particulars, a case is presented in which a retained surgical sponge was encountered as the cause of progressive low back pain and tender swelling in the scar area after instrumented posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion combined with pedicle screw fixation for lumbosacral spondylolisthesis 4 years earlier. However, until today, no reported neurosurgical patient has suffered a serious complication due to a retained surgical sponge. The authors wish to remind the neurosurgical community to learn from unpleasant clinical and medicolegal experiences in other specialties before serious complications occur, and we suggest rigorous standardization of intraoperative habits to avoid this hazardous complication.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurosurgical Clinic, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Schleusenweg 2–16, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany e-mail: G.Marquardt@em.uni-frankfurt.de Tel.: +49-69-63015939, Fax: +49-69-63017175, , , , , , DE
    G. Marquardt, J. Rettig, J. Lang & V. Seifert

Authors

  1. G. Marquardt
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. J. Rettig
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  3. J. Lang
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  4. V. Seifert
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Received: 12 September 2000 / Accepted: 13 October 2000

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marquardt, G., Rettig, J., Lang, J. et al. Retained surgical sponges, a denied neurosurgical reality? Cautionary note.Neurosurg Rev 24, 41–43 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00011966

Download citation