Biswas RS, Ganguly S, Saha ML, Saha S, Mukherjee S, Ayaz A. Gossypiboma and surgeon- current medicolegal aspect - a review.
Indian J Surg 2012;
74:318-22. [PMID:
23904722 PMCID:
PMC3444596 DOI:
10.1007/s12262-012-0446-3]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2011] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gossypiboma or textiloma is referred to as a surgical gauze or towel inadvertently retained inside the body following surgery. It is an infrequent but avoidable surgical complication, which must be kept in mind in any postoperative patient who presents with pain, infection, or palpable mass. Gossypiboma, in the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur, proves that the surgeon is negligent. Moreover, it has medicolegal consequences including mental agony, humiliation, huge monetary compensation and imprisonment on the part of the surgeon and increased morbidity, mortality and financial loss on the part of the patient. Here we report two cases of gossypiboma and review its current medicolegal aspect in relation to the surgeon.
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