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Research: No Sponge Left Behind
UNC surgeons will report the preliminary results of the study on Tuesday, Oct. 5 during a poster session at the 2010 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons in Washington, D.C.
The reported incidence of a sponge or another foreign body, such as a surgical instrument, being left behind after operations has varied widely over the years. Previously published reports have estimated ranges of one in 1,000 operations to one in 18,000.
"Our preliminary data agrees with the previously reported incidence of retained surgical sponges," said lead investigator UNC gastrointestinal surgeon Christopher C. Rupp, MD. The researchers used a radio-frequency (RF) detection device in 1,600 operations, and found a sponge in one operation in which manual counting of the sponges was correct.
Sponges used to absorb fluids and improve access to organs during surgical procedures are much different than household sponges. Surgical sponges are mostly made of cotton, and come in sizes of 12-by-12 inches or as small as 4-by-4 inches. These sponges can become difficult to see during an operation because they can mold into different shapes and take on the same color of the fluids being absorbed. Furthermore, the sponges can migrate to other areas of the operative field, and they can be difficult to feel with surgical gloves.
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