Sikkim Woman Found with Surgical Scissors in Abdomen 12 Years After Appendix Surgery

Gangtok : In a shocking medical negligence case, doctors at STNM Hospital in Gangtok removed a pair of surgical scissors from the abdomen of a 45-year-old woman, 12 years after they were left behind during her appendectomy in 2012. The woman, who had undergone the surgery to remove her appendix at the same hospital, continued to suffer from abdominal pain for over a decade, despite consulting multiple doctors.

Doctors at STNM Hospital revealed the discovery of the scissors during an X-ray earlier this month. Even after the appendix operation, the woman had pain. Her family brought her to the STNM Hospital. In the X-ray, a surgical scissor was found in her abdomen.

On October 8, the woman returned to the hospital, where the X-ray detected the foreign object. A surgical team immediately performed the procedure to remove the scissors. The woman is now stable and recovering well.

The incident has raised serious concerns over medical negligence. "A committee has been set up with officials of the Health department and doctors from STNM to investigate the case of a scissor left in the abdomen of the woman during the appendix operation," said Dr. Suresh Madan Rai, spokesperson of STNM Hospital.

The woman’s husband said she endured bouts of pain ever since the 2012 surgery, and despite repeated consultations with doctors over the years, no one could pinpoint the cause. Medication was prescribed, but the pain persisted.