Left behind: unintentionally retained surgically placed foreign bodies and how to reduce their incidence--pictorial review.
OBJECTIVE
Unintentionally retained surgically placed foreign bodies have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as increased costs and medicolegal consequences. This article reviews some of the most commonly retained surgical devices and provides a structured approach to intraoperative image acquisition and interpretation. By increasing the awareness of surgically placed foreign bodies, our goal is to reduce the incidence of and the complications associated with this difficult clinical problem.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite various systems and safeguards available, unintentionally retained surgically placed foreign bodies remain difficult to eliminate completely. Developing a standardized approach to the request, "intraoperative film, rule out foreign body," is essential to reduce the adverse outcomes associated with this problem.
Whang
Gilbert
G
Department of Radiology, USC University Hospital, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. whangg@usc.edu
Mogel
Greg T
GT
Tsai
Jerome
J
Palmer
Suzanne L
SL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D012307:Risk Factors; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed