The Enigma of Gossypiboma: An Entity to Explore

Abstract

Gossypibomas, or retained surgical sponges, are rare and potentially life-threatening complications in modern medicine. They are most commonly the result of emergency abdominal or gynecological surgeries but can occur in any surgery where sponges are used intraoperatively. They can remain in the body for years following surgery and pose a risk for migration and subsequent complications. This case describes an abdominal gossypiboma in a 90-year-old woman, first identified more than a decade after a salpingo-oophorectomy. Migration into her colon eventually caused bowel obstruction and resulted in death. Intentional underreporting of gossypibomas is a major problem that limits knowledge of the condition and hinders their prevention.