Trans-visceral migration of retained surgical gauze as a cause of intestinal obstruction: a case report

Introduction: A retained surgical sponge in the abdomen is uncommon although it is likely thatthis finding is underreported in the medical literature. The intravisceral migration of retainedsurgical gauze is even rarer, as demonstrated by the very few cases reported.Case presentation: Three years after undergoing anterior resection of the rectum, a 75-year-oldman presented with symptoms of small bowel obstruction. Plain abdominal radiography and CTshowed a radio-opaque marker; a foreign body was suspected, probably a piece of retained surgicalgauze. An ileotomy of about 5 cm. was performed to confirm this diagnosis and remove the gauze.Conclusion: Although rare, retained gauze in the abdomen is a complication of surgery. Theauthors consider that this event may be more frequent than it appears from reports in theliterature, probably because of its medico-legal implications. If all such cases were reported, itwould be possible to estimate their exact number, classify the occurrence as a possible surgicalcomplication and thus modify its medico-forensic consequences.