Retained gauze in the abdomen following prior laparotomy

Abstract

Retained gauze in the abdomen (Gossypiboma) is a serious complication of abdominal surgery that often leads to medicolegal lawsuits. The most important risk factor is a failure of gauze count before and after laparotomy. Other related factors in order of occurrence include abdominal, gynaecologic, urologic and vascular procedures. We herein present a case of retained gauze following prior laparotomy.