Laparoscopic removal of retained surgical gauze.

Received February 2009 Accepted August 2009 INTRODUCTION Term of gossypiboma (textiloma, cottonoid, gauzoma, and muslinoma) is used to describe a retained surgical pad or gauze in the body after an operation. Retained postoperative foreign bodies, of which sponges are the most common, is a preventable condition and almost always iatrogenic.(1,2) Gossypiboma may present acutely or subacutely and some times it may be symptom free.(1,3) Laparoscopic removal of retained surgical pad, gauze, and instruments has already been reported.(3-7) Herein, we present a case of abdominal gossypiboma 4 years after hysterectomy. We used laparoscopy as the therapeutic tool.