Surgical tool found in woman’s abdomen 5 years after surgery in Kerala, inquiry launched

In a shocking medical oversight, an artery forceps was discovered inside the abdomen of Usha Joseph , a resident of Punnapra, five years after she underwent surgery at Alappuzha Medical College in Vandanam. Relatives confirmed that Joseph was shifted to a private hospital in Kochi on Friday for a procedure to remove the foreign object.

Joseph had undergone surgery for the removal of a uterine fibroid at the medical college in May 2021. According to her son, Shibin Joseph , she experienced persistent abdominal pain in the years following the surgery. “Despite multiple visits to the same hospital, the cause of her pain was never identified,” he said.

It was only recently, when consulting a doctor suspecting a kidney stone, that an X-ray revealed the artery forceps lodged in her abdomen. While the medical college offered to remove the instrument next week, the family opted for a private hospital to avoid further complications. “Doctors here will locate the exact position and perform the surgery soon. We want the instrument removed at the earliest,” Shibin said. He added that the medical college had refused any compensation, prompting the family to file a complaint at Ambalapuzha police station .

Dr Lalithambika , a retired surgeon at the medical college, who was initially named in the allegations, clarified that she did not perform the surgery . She explained that as the unit chief, her name was recorded but she was not attending major cases at the time, citing the COVID period workload . Lalithambika also stated that the instrument seen in the X-ray was a small mosquito forceps , not a scissor, and attributed the error to systemic lapses in government hospitals where instrument counts may not always be rigorously maintained.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said officials involved in the surgery and still in government service will be suspended pending inquiry . A preliminary report has been submitted to the Director of Medical Education, and an expert committee of senior doctors from Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram Medical Colleges has been deputed to Alappuzha for a detailed investigation. “All legal steps will be taken without leniency, and the report will also be forwarded to the police for further action,” she said.

The minister dismissed claims of system failure at government hospitals, noting that WHO guidelines are strictly followed . She emphasized that conducting surgery without a scrub nurse or proper checks would be a violation of norms , and stressed that such incidents cannot be trivialized . She recalled a similar incident in 2017, highlighting the need for strict adherence to surgical protocols.

The case has sparked widespread concern over surgical safety standards in government hospitals , raising questions about accountability and systemic oversight.