What are some procedure types and risk factors that may increase the risk of retention of a surgical foreign body?
Abdominal surgical procedures are most commonly associated with retention of a foreign body, followed by gynecologic procedures, urologic and vascular procedures, and orthopedic and spinal procedures. In addition, complex surgical procedures (e.g., involving more than one surgical team, a large number of instruments/instrument sets, or surgery upon more than one body cavity), damage control procedures, emergency surgical procedures, and prolonged surgical procedures increase the risk of a retained foreign body. The risk also increases with increasing body mass index of the patient.
