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103 Comments
- VanD, on 12/11/2007, -1/+30I had a heart transplant and the doctor left a heart in me.
I'm greatful. - dvsbastard, on 12/11/2007, -1/+27I can't wait for someone to be arrested on terrorism charges for attempting to "smuggle" a scalpel onto a plane! :P
- ajamer, on 12/11/2007, -3/+25having fetched for surgical "sponges" in patient's myself, I'll tell you guys that they're not the yellow and green things you guys might thing. They're like small white cloths that you throw inside of patients to soak up blood so you can see what you're doing. They turn blood red during surgery and are easy to miss if the patient is bleeding and you have to keep shoving more and more in to achieve hemostasis. They all have a long string with a metal ring attached to the end so they can show up on post op xrays and you can get them out just in case. They're counted by the nurses during, and after surgery, but mistakes can happen when you're using 50 of the damn things and they get thrown around the OR and uncounted when a patient isn't doing so hot.
- PolarBearFire, on 12/11/2007, -2/+211500 out of what millions of procedures? It's pretty good all things considered. No biggie, hundreds of people die everyday from avoidable motor vehicle accidents. That's not to say that I wouldn't sue them if it happened to me, but all things considered, not a bid issue.
- mooseofshadows, on 12/11/2007, -0/+15"What's that? You say we left a sponge inside you by accident? No, sir, it's a complimentary sponge."
- inactive, on 12/11/2007, -1/+13It's a global conspiracy...
- elliotys, on 12/11/2007, -1/+11Anyone who thinks they can do a better job, by all means go through college, get your BS (4 yrs) go through med school (4 yrs) and then do your residency (2 yrs), we need more doctors
- Beakerz, on 12/11/2007, -1/+11I think 1,500 is likely a reasonably low rate considering how many surgeries occur each year, and I'm glad they found a way to lower that rate even more.
But, that definitely does not excuse the physician just like if you accidentally rear-end someone it is still your fault. good article btw. - inactive, on 12/11/2007, -0/+10It it just me or the sciencedaily.com is really messy website?
- inactive, on 12/11/2007, -1/+10moral of the story?
***** happens. - Aristillus, on 12/11/2007, -1/+8The reason doctors (and hospitals) get sued over items accidentally left in a patient is that they are the ones with the deep pockets. It is not the surgeon's responsibility to keep track of this stuff. That is the responsibility of the scrub tech and the circulating nurse. The items are supposed to be counted, both at the beginning and at the end of the case. If there's any discrepancy, or if it's an emergency which doesn't allow time for a count, an x-ray should be called for at the end of the case. As a nurse, I could tell you some stories about what a**es surgeons are, but in this case it is NOT their fault because it is not their job to keep track. You won't get much money suing a nurse though.
- rancemo, on 12/11/2007, -1/+8I suppose Rudy has? Some kind of weird anal thing?
- ajamer, on 12/11/2007, -0/+6General surgery is a 5 year residency.
You can then specialize for a couple more years in certain areas - hayzeus, on 12/11/2007, -2/+8Let me tell you -- I am a thorassic surgeon, and I have left MANY things inside my patients. Surgical sponges, hemostats, paper clips, old CDs, pimento cheese sandwiches, live kittens... you name it. Happens all the time and NONE of my patients ever report any problems. Dugg down for exaggeration.
- VanD, on 12/11/2007, -0/+6I love how the only picture on the page has to do with another article, but you chose it anyways.
- inactive, on 12/11/2007, -3/+9No, but he left many people out of a brain.
- SonofMaug, on 12/11/2007, -0/+5The doctors don't give a rat's ass about surgical sponge counts unless they are wrong. The doc's don't count sponges, the scrub and circulating nurse do. The only thing doc's hear about sponges is whether or not the count is correct at the end of the procedure. In fact, it is easy to lose sponges in a patient, and it is my responsibility as a scrub to make sure that what goes in the patient comes out, including instruments, suture needles, sponges, etc.
- brianjlowry, on 12/11/2007, -0/+5grateful
- explnx, on 04/27/2009, -1/+6Thank god the centuries-old discipline of surgery has your insight to learn from.
- badqat, on 12/11/2007, -0/+4Approximately 50,000 Americans die every year in auto accidents. Ban cars people...they kill!
- jeffryg, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3Better than 1500 objects inside 1 patient. Right?
- nathanaver, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3Hmmm.....almost makes me think surgical residents shouldn't be working 88 hour weeks.
- LincolnA, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3*x-rays* or it didn't happen
- SirGunslinger, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3Maybe he didn't think they were "sponge worthy"!
- Hobbes24, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3i'd say it's right up there with dieing from polonium poisioning
- robbh66, on 12/11/2007, -0/+3Perhaps you don't know what a sponge does?
- dvsbastard, on 12/11/2007, -1/+4There seems to have been an accident with your cap lock key... That is terrible...
- Federalist1981, on 12/11/2007, -1/+3Use a bar code or RFID tag on each tool in the OR. Scan each item before and after surgery.
- badqat, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2You're being dugg down for telling the truth...digg can be such a frustrating place.
And not all of them are a$$e$, although I've met some who are... - gbarberi, on 12/11/2007, -2/+4They should probably attach some string to the sponge. Make it long enough so that it hangs out of the wound. This way they can see that there is still a sponge in there.
- dvsbastard, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2You forgot to add the "List of predictable comments"... Ironic really...
- CanceledCzech, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2Oh, you...
- badqat, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2I'd be upset if it were a surgery with conditions you describe. I wouldn't be upset at the surgeon, however.
- manfrin, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2They do it as a goof. It's just a goof.
- Branyers, on 12/11/2007, -1/+3"If we leave it inside you, you own it."
- robbh66, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2Yes, the obvious solution of a problem that effects less than 1/10th of 1% of surgeries is to mandate an extremely expensive system. Who cares if it raises costs?!
- TheOther1, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2I don't think you will be in any condition to call them when something goes wrong during your surgery. Maybe afterward, but only if you survive.
- DaFunk, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2You fail at the internet.
- Branyers, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2Or he could have just read the article.
- ChuyMatt, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2Most I have met are. I have a very medical family and have had 2 recent surgeries. Now, there is a reason that surgeons are considered asses, it is because they tend to fit the bill.
- jabbar, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2what the ***** is that supposed to mean? if you have ever seen a surgery, you will notice that the theater is covered in blood (who woulda thunk it?) and if sponges are being used to, oh i dont know, soak up some of the blood, you could see that leaving something the color of the field would be easy to do. you also cant go poking everything because then you'd end up with perforated bowels or cause undo damage to organs and tissue that need not be injured more than is necessary. educate yourself.
- badqat, on 12/11/2007, -0/+2It isn't simply the circ nurses' job to count them...there should also be a surgical scrub tech involved in the process. And some surgeons I've known actually have their own nurse and/or tech in addition to those employed by the hospital/outpatient surgical center the surgery takes place at.
And whom will be calling during the surgery, just out of curiosity? - Pinkertinkle, on 12/11/2007, -2/+3The world ain't perfect, sucks huh?
- ChuyMatt, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1It is possible (though, i hope this is a joke) that there is inflammation that has damaged his bowels from something happening during a bladder operation. Just saying, they are quite close together.
- ChuyMatt, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1This is why they write on the Sx site now. I just had my leg worked on and they marked me up to make sure and signed it. I assume that was to make sure it was the right area and indeed their patient that they were working on.
- LopsidedZebra, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Scrubs did it.
- ChuyMatt, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1um... technically, yes...
- TheOther1, on 12/11/2007, -1/+2dead?
- badqat, on 12/11/2007, -0/+1Actually, I've seen surgical departments that do this. And I've seen surgical departments that don't. And no discernible difference in outcomes at either approach.
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