Sponge left inside woman after surgery in Vietnam

Doctors at Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday removed a surgical sponge they had mistakenly left inside a woman’s abdomen in surgery two months ago, local media reported. 

The 34-year-old woman had a tubal ligation during a C-section in Tu Du, the largest maternal hospital in Vietnam, two months ago, according to VnExpress.

She had often suffered from abdominal pain after that.

According to the hospital’s representatives, a surgical team had “mistakenly” left a sponge (gauze pad) measuring 5cm by 10 cm was left in the woman’s abdomen.

The woman is recovering well and will be discharged on Aug. 8, they said.

The hospital director board apologized to the woman and her family for the “rare” incident and promised to review surgical procedures and the responsibility of those involved.

Doctors at Tu Du Hospital said the proper procedures require a surgical team to count sponges at least twice before closing the incision.