Gossypiboma: complete transmural migration of retained surgical sponge causing small bowel obstruction

The authors report a case of recurrent intestinal obstruction due to complete transmural migration of a retained surgical sponge into the small intestine. A 41-year-old woman presented with recurrent episodes of intestinal obstruction following a previous laparotomy in a private hospital for some gynaecologic procedures. Relaparotomy revealed a mass within the ileum which was resected and, when dissected out, was found to be a completely intraluminal retained surgical sponge. Although rare in daily practice, a retained intraperitoneal foreign body should be remotely considered in patients who present with new abdominal symptoms complex following a history of previous laparatomy.