Thiruvananthapuram Surgeon booked after cloth allegedly left inside abdomen during surgery

Thiruvananthapuram: A surgeon at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram has been booked by police following allegations of medical negligence, after a patient claimed that a piece of cloth and cotton were left stitched inside her abdomen during surgery. 

The complainant, a 47-year-old resident of Menamkulam, alleged that a piece of cloth was stitched inside her abdomen during an appendicitis surgery at CSI Mission Hospital at Kazhakkoottam. Acting on her complaint, the Kazhakoottam Police Station registered a case and initiated an investigation. The patient had also approached the Kerala Chief Minister and the district medical officer seeking action over the alleged negligence.

According to a report by Kerala Kaumudi, she had initially approached the hospital on December 2 with severe abdominal pain. Doctors diagnosed appendicitis and advised surgery. The procedure was performed on December 3, and she was admitted to the hospital for ten days before being discharged. 

However, the patient later claimed that the surgical wound did not heal properly even after discharge. One part of the wound reportedly became infected. As the surgeon who had treated her at the Kazhakoottam hospital was on leave at that time, the patient visited another private facility for wound dressing.

During an examination at the hospital, doctors reportedly noticed a thread in the wound and advised her to return to the hospital where the original surgery had been performed. Later, another surgical procedure was carried out, and a piece of cloth was removed from the wound.

Hospital authorities, however, reportedly stated that it was not clear how the cloth fragment had entered the surgical wound. Meanwhile, the patient alleged that she experienced continuous pain for nearly three months following the initial surgery.

According to the complaint, the appendicitis surgery at the Kazhakoottam hospital cost around Rs 1.20 lakh, while further treatment cost more than Rs 18,000. Police have registered the case, and further investigation into the allegations of medical negligence is underway.