Surgical instrument found in Kerala woman’s abdomen 5 years after surgery

An artery forceps was found inside the abdomen of a Punnapra native, five years after she underwent surgery at Alappuzha Medical College in Vandanam, relatives said on Friday.

Usha Joseph was shifted to a private hospital in Kochi on Friday to undergo a procedure to remove the surgical instrument.

According to relatives, Joseph underwent surgery for the removal of a uterine fibroid at the medical college on May 2021. However, after the surgery, she had been suffering from recurring abdominal pain, her son Shibin told reporters.

Though she



approached doctors at the same hospital multiple times, the cause of the pain was not identified, he alleged.

Recently, Joseph consulted a doctor, suspecting that the pain was due to a kidney stone, who advised an X-ray examination, he said.

Shibin said the X-ray reportedly showed an artery forceps, after which doctors at the medical college offered to remove it next week.

“However, we do not want any further issues and moved to a private hospital. The doctors here will scan and locate the exact position and will perform the surgery soon,” Shibin said.