Shocking News about Requirements for Reporting Retained Surgical Instruments | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

Many people think that a surgeon is required to state in the operation report whether or not a surgical item was broken off or simply left inside a patient’s body. Unfortunately, this is a mistaken belief. There are no mandatory reporting requirements in operative reports about such retained surgical item incidents in many states. If a patient suffers complications, it’s basically a hide & seek game.