"Medical Mishap: Woman Finds Dinner Plate-Sized Surgical Instrument Left Inside Her Body"

A New Zealand woman who suffered chronic pain for 18 months after a caesarean section discovered a surgical instrument the size of a dinner plate inside her abdomen. The Alexis retractor, or AWR, was left inside her after the operation. The Health and Disability Commissioner found the hospital in breach of patient rights, stating that leaving a foreign object inside a patient is a "never" event. The instrument was eventually removed 18 months later. The case highlights the need for clearer surgical count policies and improved healthcare systems to prevent similar incidents.