Fishing in the Dark: Retrieving Broken Instruments during a Spinal Lumbar Discectomy

Abstract

The equipment utilized in surgical operations must be durable and safe. Regular checks to ensure no signs of wear or fatigue (that may result in failure) should be incorporated into the sterilising and repackaging process. We present a case of equipment failure resulting in a lost foreign body during a lumbar spine discectomy and subsequent difficult retrieval.