India: Doctors Leave Gauze in Woman's Abdomen During Surgery in Maharashtra

(Shutterstock/ File Photo)

The gauze was removed 40 days after surgery.

Doctors in Maharashtra, India removed a piece of gauze from a woman's abdomen 40 days after a caesarean section was performed on her.

The woman, Shama Shaik, a resident of Nala Sopara (East), delivered her first child on 27 April at the civic hospital and started experiencing excruciating pain a week after the surgery.

A strange odour also started emanating from her abdominal area. A sonography revealed gauze measuring 3X2 used during surgeries to absorb blood had been left behind in her abdomen.

"We conducted a sonography test at a private hospital where it was detected that the gauze pad was inside her abdomen," said the woman's husband, Shabbir, 33, who owns a roadside stall.

The same hospital where Shama delivered her baby, removed the gauze from her abdomen. "I contacted the civic hospital and they admitted Shama. On June 9, the surgeons removed the gauze pad, Shabbir was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times.

Dr Gaytri Gorakh, in-charge of the civic hospital, admitted to removing the gauze but said they were 'unaware' of its presence during C-section. Shabbir has filed a complaint at Tulinj police station and demanded that a case of negligence be filed against the surgeon.

This article has been adapted from its original source.