8 Most Random Emergency Ward Injuries You Won't Believe

2. Operation To Remove Tumour Reveals 25 Year Old Towel

When surgeons of Asahi General Hospital, Japan began operating on an unnamed 49 year old man, they believed his severe abdominal pain was being caused by a tumour. It was an easy mistake to make. The x-rays had shown an eight centimetre ball stuck in the problem area. What they found, however, was a tattered towel. In a case of bafflingly severe negligence, it had been left in the patient's abdomen during a minor surgery 25 years previous, to remove an ulcer. When a spokesman was reached for comment, he answered the question that was on everyone's mind, "The towel was greenish-blue although we are not sure about its original colour." Nice to see they've got their priorities in check. Unfortunately the man's spleen was beyond repair and had to extracted. The hospital would apologise for the incident. It was there that the initial operation had taken place. The patient decided not to sue.