Emily MartinezUnprecedented Medical Mishap Raises Alarming Questions About Patient Safety
In a shocking revelation, a surgical tool the size of a dinner plate was discovered inside a woman’s abdomen a staggering 18 months after she underwent a cesarean section to deliver her baby. New Zealand’s Health and Disability Commissioner reported that an Alexis retractor, also known as an AWR, measuring up to 17 centimeters (6 inches) in diameter, had been inadvertently left inside the mother’s body following the cesarean procedure at Auckland City Hospital in 2020.
The AWR, a retractable cylindrical device with a translucent film designed to retract wound edges during surgery, went unnoticed despite the woman enduring months of agonizing chronic pain. Multiple checkups and X-rays yielded no clues to the source of her discomfort. The severity of her pain finally forced her to seek emergency medical attention, leading to the device’s detection through an abdominal CT scan and its subsequent removal in 2021.
The Health and Disability Commissioner, Morag McDowell, issued a damning report that found the Auckland District Health Board, Te Whatu Ora Auckland, to be in violation of patient rights. The health board initially attributed the incident to a nurse’s purported failure to provide reasonable skill and care during the cesarean.
McDowell’s report highlighted the negligence that led to a prolonged period of distress for the woman and emphasized the necessity of preventive systems. The report detailed the complexities of the situation, suggesting that the AWR’s design, which necessitates a portion of it remaining outside the patient, contributed to its oversight in the surgical count.
The case has sparked outrage and concern over patient safety protocols. The incident calls into question the adequacy of procedures meant to safeguard patients from such drastic oversights, raising apprehensions about the potential for such errors to recur.
As the healthcare system grapples with this shocking revelation, the woman’s ordeal stands as a haunting reminder of the profound consequences of lapses in medical care and the paramount importance of rigorous adherence to patient safety standards.
Michelle Thompson
