The Surgeon and the Nurse Share the Blame: A case of a retained sponge

Abstract

On April 19, 1982, orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. MacKenzie, operated on the 61-year-old plaintiff, Frandle. A sponge was left in the plaintiff’s left hip while bone from the hip was being removed and grafted onto an ankle. The sponge was not discovered until December, 1983 and was removed on January 30, 1984.