Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi 2016 , Vol 26 , Num 2
Surgical Hand Tools Left at the Surgery Site
Habib BOSTAN1, Kubilay KINOĞLU2, H. Mehmet AKIN1, Sibel Atacan ÇAĞLAR1
1Adli Tıp Kurumu Başkanlığı, İkinci İhtisas Kurulu, İstanbul, Türkiye
2Adli Tıp Kurumu Başkanlığı, Üçüncü İhtisas Kurulu, İstanbul, Türkiye
Surgical hand tools are used to implement surgical techniques during the procedures and one of the most important challenges during a surgical procedure is breakage of surgical tools. Hand tool breakage during a surgical procedure may cause undesired consequences during and after the surgery. Such cases may put both the patient and the surgeon in a difficult situation.

We investigated two cases that had been subjected to a lawsuit by claim of medical malpractice because of leaving a surgical tool broken at the surgical site during the surgery of a lumbar herniated disc in terms of forensic medicine. Breakage of a surgical tool is not an ordinary case. Therefore, it should be recorded and duly reported to the patient. If the patient is not informed about the situation, the right of the patient about being informed is violated. To make a decision about malpractice, one should investigate whether there is a problem with the tool. Furthermore, the tool should be examined technically to see if any manufacturing defect or metal fatigue exists. We believed that such an examination performed timely would help increase the quality of service provided and also help prove the claims during the judicial procedure. Anahtar Kelimeler : Fracture of surgical hand tools, Forensic medicine, Medical malpractice