A study of the bioengineered surgical sponge.

The postoperatively retained foreign body (PORFB) can induce complications leading to the need for follow-up surgery to ensure its removal, to treat or prevent the formation of an abscess, and to minimize the risk of death for the patient and liability for the surgeon and hospital. The most common cause of PORFB complications is the surgical sponge. Previously, PORFB prevention was focused on improved efficiency in RFB counting; however, because of the inability to entirely eliminate human error, cost, and the potentially unproven patient outcome improvement, new approaches have been sought. We examined the use of a novel bioengineered, biodegradable sponge (BSS) to reduce the risk of complications due to PORFBs, thus potentially improving patient outcomes.