After a caesarean section, a New Zealand woman was in severe pain for 18 months. At first he may have thought they were normal, because of the process he was going through, but they became “chronic and severe.”

They took several X-rays and they detected nothing, 20 Minutes reported. At the insistence of the doctors, the woman underwent new tests, which revealed the unthinkable cause of her ailments.

While performing a caesarean section in Auckland and without a doctor or nurse noticing, they left a surgical device in her abdomen, The Guardian noted.

The pregnant woman was 20 years old at the time and was undergoing a planned cesarean section due to concerns about placenta previa, The Guardian reported.

The device of “forgetting”

The object left behind “due to forgetfulness” a year and a half ago is “an Alexis or AWR retractor”. This object measures about 17 centimeters and has the size of a plate, as the Spanish medium describes.

The Alexis Wound Retractor is a round, smooth tubular device used to remove the edges of a wound during surgery.

The object went undetected for so long, in part because it was “non-radiopaque” and therefore could not be seen with X-rays.

A radiopaque object, Medledd points out, is an object that resists X-rays and shows up as a white area on the X-ray.

Pain, apologies and disciplinary costs for caesarean section errors

In Telemundo 47 they reported that the woman complained to her doctor about the crippling pain she was suffering.

The woman, whose identity is being kept secret, is in her 20s, the outlet reported, adding that she “underwent the procedure (cesarean section) in 2020 due to complications during her pregnancy and the patient’s” high maternal body mass.

These statements are included in a report published Monday by New Zealand Commissioner for Health and Disability, Morag McDowell, according to Telemundo 47.

According to McDowell, “the Auckland health authority fell short of its duty to care for the woman.”

normal delivery vs. Cesarean section: what is the best option?

The health council has apologized for the inconvenience caused, but must do so again in writing within three weeks, the American chain reports on September 5, 2023.

In the middle of the cesarean section, according to the report, “a large wound retractor was used, but the surgeon decided it was too small and ordered an oversized version.”

It was that second device, the biggest one, Telemundo said, “the one that stayed in the patient.”

A year and a half later, a CT scan discovered the strange object.

The investigation continues to provide food for discussion, as those involved could face disciplinary action.

(JO)