Doctor faces disciplinary inquiry for leaving behind forceps in woman's tummy

CHENNAI: A month after a long and complicated elective surgery for removing uterine fibroids in a Tiruchandur-based woman, doctors were called back to operate on her - this time to remove the surgical instrument left behind.

On Wednesday, based on a complaint from the patient Jenita Devakirupavathi, her surgeon was asked to appear before the disciplinary committee of the Tamil Nadu Medical Council for an inquiry. General surgeon Dr S Mangala Ravindran, who operated on 45-year-old Jenita at the Galaxy Hospital in Tirunelveli, told the council that Jenita underwent the procedure in May.

She recovered well and was discharged in a week. But the next month, when she developed abdominal pain she went to another hospital when doctors found forceps left behind.

"The doctors there informed Dr Ravindran. The patient had to bear the pain and spend an additional Rs30,000 for the second surgery," said medical council president Dr K Senthil.

Experts say that when doctors anaesthetise patients, they take away their ability to independently move, think or breathe. Therefore mistakes like this amount to "gross negligence". Leaving objects behind is dangerous as they can cause pain, infections, organ damage and death.

As per estimates in Indian medical literature, nearly 5,000 surgeons in the country have done it at least once. While in some cases, the team realizes it before closing the patient, sometimes they don't. In February, the Hyderabad police booked doctors from a government hospital for leaving a pair of scissors in a woman's abdomen after a surgery.

The Tirunelveli police, based on Jenita's complaint, booked Dr Ravindran for causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others.

In operating rooms, a scrub nurse keeps count of the sponges and instruments a surgeon uses during a procedure. Surgeons admit that in hectic situations during emergencies, such oversights might occur. To avoid this, bodies like NABH insist on having another person such as a floor nurse who is not a part of the surgery to do the recount. "Doctors should not close the patient until they find any missing sponge, even if it means emptying the garbage cans and doing a count," said Dr Senthil.

However, in Jenita's case, although council is sure of negligence, they feel it is not just the surgeon's fault."Dr Ravindran is a freelance surgeon. The hospital management and his paramedical team should be equally responsible. We are yet to decide on the action but we will be writing to nursing council too," he said.