The pain from Donald Church's abdominal surgery wouldn't go away. Airport metal detectors buzzed around him. But it had taken a CT scan to find the 13-inch-long surgical instrument the doctors had left inside of him.
According to Tuesday's Seattle Times, the 49-year-old Lynwood, WA man recently received a $97,000 settlement from the University of Washington Medical Center. In June 2000 surgeons at UW removed a malignant tumor from Church, along with his appendix and part of his intestines. But they forgot to remove the 13-inch-long, 2-inch-wide malleable retractor that was used to protect Church’s organs from a long suturing needle as they completed the operation.
Church described significant pain and constipation after the operation, but was told everything was normal at a 30-day surgical follow-up. After his symptoms continued he visited a UW clinic, where physicians ordered the CT scan and discovered the retractor.
Standard operating-room policy is to count all sponges and suturing needles both entering and leaving the surgical opening, the Times article said. Since the accident, however, UW surgeons have been required to count surgical instruments as well.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersDecember 7, 2001
Copyright © 2001AuntMinnie.com
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