4 8 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6
I
ncidences of retained surgical objects are extremely rare, occurring
maybe once in every 5,000 operations. But when it happens — and it
does happen, thousands of times per year — the economic conse-
quences can be profound, often running into hundreds of thousands of
dollars in readmissions, litigation, settlements and damaged reputations.
Not to mention the human component. "Any surgeon who's had one of these
events is personally devastated by it," says Scott Regenbogen, MD, MPH, a col-
orectal surgeon with the University of Michigan Health System. So why are
objects continually left behind in patients, and what can you do to truly prevent
these "never events" from happening?
Can't count on counting
It's very easy to lose sight of sponges, especially in an open abdomen, according
to Dr. Regenbogen. "They can easily be packed away in spaces you can't see,"
he says. "Surgeons may not be trying to keep track of each and every sponge,
Spot Every Sponge
Give your staff the help they need to ensure no object is left behind.
• FINAL TALLY Surgical team members
with numerous responsibilities can be
distracted from conducting accurate counts.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
Jim Burger
Senior Editor
