Delayed intestinal obstruction from an unintentionally retained surgical gauze in a 24-year old woman two years after caesarean section: a case report

Abstract

BackgroundOne of the most common surgical emergencies, intestinal obstruction is rarely the result of an inadvertently retained foreign object (also known as a gossypiboma), which may not present symptoms for a lifetime. It also carries additional legal burdens, which may account for the rarity of its reports.Case presentationWe report a 24-year-old Sudanese female with a history of emergency Caesarean section two years before the admission presented with abdominal distension and absolute constipation, which was diagnosed as intestinal obstruction with a retained gauzed found within the small intestine. Moreover, a review of recent African-reported cases was done to find relatively similar cases.ConclusionAdhering to the standard of care in surgical theaters and integrating new methods of prevention like tagged gauze could help to decrease the rate of such cases in the future.