How a pair of scissors was left inside a man's abdomen for 18 years
Ma Van Nhat, a 54-year-old Vietnamese man, had a shocking discovery when he went for a health check-up in 2017. An X-ray revealed that he had a pair of surgical scissors, about 15 cm long, embedded in his abdomen. The scissors had been left inside his body during a surgery he underwent in 1998, after a traffic accident.
Nhat had been suffering from persistent abdominal pain and other discomforts for nearly two decades, but doctors could not diagnose the cause. He had to take painkillers regularly and avoid certain foods that aggravated his condition. He also had difficulty sleeping and moving around.
The forgotten scissors had rusted and stuck to his organs, causing inflammation and infection. They had also shifted position over the years, making them harder to detect. Nhat was lucky that the scissors did not puncture any vital organs or blood vessels, which could have been fatal.
Surgeons at Gang Thep Thai Nguyen Hospital performed an operation to remove the scissors successfully, relieving Nhat from years of pain and discomfort. He recovered well and was discharged from the hospital after three days. He was also awarded a compensation of 10 million Vietnamese dong (about $440) by the hospital that performed the initial surgery in 1998.
This case is a rare and unfortunate example of medical negligence, which can have serious consequences for the patient. According to a study by Johns Hopkins University, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 250,000 lives per year. Another study estimated that about 4,500 surgical items are left inside patients every year in the US, resulting in complications such as infections, sepsis, organ damage, and death.
To prevent such incidents, medical professionals should follow strict protocols and checklists before, during, and after surgery. They should also use tools that are marked with radiofrequency identification tags or barcodes, which can be scanned and tracked. Patients should also be informed of the risks and benefits of surgery, and seek a second opinion if they have any doubts or concerns.
