Open AccessRetained Surgical Items and Minimally Invasive Surgery
Author(s) -
Gibbs Verna C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
world journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.115
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1432-2323
pISSN - 0364-2313
DOI - 10.1007/s00268-011-1060-4
Subject(s) - medicine , safer , perioperative , invasive surgery , vascular surgery , abdominal surgery , cardiothoracic surgery , surgery , surgical team , patient safety , surgical procedures , general surgery , cardiac surgery , health care , computer security , computer science , economics , economic growth
A retained surgical item is a surgical patient safety problem. Early reports have focused on the epidemiology of retained‐item cases and the identification of patient risk factors for retention. We now know that retention has very little to do with patient characteristics and everything to do with operating room culture. It is a perception that minimally invasive procedures are safer with regard to the risk of retention. Minimally invasive surgery is still an operation where an incision is made and surgical tools are placed inside of patients, so these cases are not immune to the problem of inadvertent retention. Retained surgical items occur because of problems with multi‐stakeholder operating room practices and problems in communication. The prevention of retained surgical items will therefore require practice change, knowledge, and shared information between all perioperative personnel.