Intra-Abdominal Gossypiboma found during Cholecystectomy, 12 years after Lower Segment Caesarean Section

Abstract

Retained Surgical Foreign Bodies (RSFBs) is an uncommon  event  in  the  surgical  practice.  Most  of  them occur after intra-abdominal and pelvic surgeries. They usually present within days after surgery        but their incidental discovery after decades has also been reported.We present a case of a 44-year-          old obese and diabetic female patient who presented with clinical and radiological findings of chronic calculus cholecystitis. She had past surgical history of Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) 12   years back, followed by a negative laparotomy. During her  open  cholecystectomy  procedure,  a  hard mass was found between the small bowel loops. When removed and examined, it was found to be a retained surgical sponge which was most likely left in her body during prior LSCS procedure. Asymp- tomatic, uncomplicated  and  (ultrasonographically)  undetected  nature  of  RSFB  in  our  case  suggests  its consideration and careful search if there is past history of intra-abdominal or pelvic surgery.