Surgeons leave forceps in hysterectomy patient

A woman in south-eastern Thailand is returning to the hospital where her uterus was taken out nearly six years ago for surgery to remove the forceps that doctors left behind.

Lamphan Yinsuth, 46, has had stomach pains since her hysterectomy at Chanthaburi province’s Prapoklao Hospital in November 1997. X-rays in April revealed that the pains were caused by the 6x29cm forceps lodged in her abdomen.

After filing a complaint to the Medical Council, a national association of doctors, the hospital agreed to compensate Yinsuth about €8,500 for the operation and perform a second surgery to remove the instrument, hospital officials said today.

“The hospital acknowledged the mistake and apologised for unwittingly making the mistake,” said Dr Daoreuk Sinthuwanich.

A hospital public relations officer said doctors were ready “to re-operate once she comes in for the operation, and I expect that to be in a couple of days”.

Chanthaburi province is about 130 miles east of Bangkok.