A woman was stunned to discover that a large cloth was left inside her body after undergoing surgery two years ago.
Maria Luciene Vidal was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022.
Already at an advanced stage, doctors decided to operate on the 58-year-old immediately.
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She had to have a colostomy bag fitted and spent a long time in the ICU.
Maria, who lives in Cubatão near São Paulo in Brazil, then underwent chemotherapy sessions and began her recovery.
Her daughter Stefany Vidal, 24, said: “She gained weight again and was doing really well.
“She also had a colostomy bag fitted.”
Maria’s recovery was going well until her symptoms returned in November 2023.
She started to lose weight and suffer from abdominal pain, the same symptoms she experienced when first diagnosed two years ago.
However, test results did not show a return of her cancer.
On 22 July, the family noticed unusual material in Maria’s colostomy bag and sought medical help again.
Stefany said: “The doctor saw it and thought it was strange so she started pulling on it.
“She then realised it was a cloth so she called her supervisor.
“He checked it and started to feel it before pulling on it.”
She added: “It was a very large cloth by the way.”
Stefany said they pulled out around 10cm of material from her mother’s body the first time before removing another 10cm.
Pictured: The cloth left inside Maria Luciene Vidal’s body. (Picture: Jam Press)
She said the medical team at the Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa de Santos is currently evaluating whether her mother needs to undergo another operation.
She told local media: “My first feeling was one of anger because anyone with a relative fighting cancer knows how difficult it is.
“We thought the cancer was coming back.
“Finding out it was a cloth left inside her really made me furious.”
Stefany said the family plans to hire a lawyer to take legal action against the Hospital Municipal de Cubatão where Maria underwent the operation two years ago.
She explained: “We want to get her medical records from when she was hospitalised two years ago so we have everything we need for the battle ahead.
“But for now, all I really want is for her to leave the hospital and be well.”
In a statement, the Cubatão Municipal Hospital said they regretted the incident and promised to provide all necessary assistance to the patient and her family.
They said the hospital director and surgeon responsible have both left their roles following the operation on 29 July 2022, as reported by Need To Know.
The statement added: “It is also worth mentioning that since March 2023, when it took over management of the hospital, the Social Services Department (SBCD) has implemented a number of safety protocols and provided professional training courses for the entire healthcare team.”
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