Percutaneous Fluoroscopy Guided Retrieval of a Fractured Pelvic Drain Post Caesarean Section: A Case Report

Abstract

Iatrogenic retention of surgical drains following drain entrapment and breakage is a never event and preventable complication. The traditional approach for removing a fractured drain from the intra-peritoneal cavity involves exploratory laparotomy or laparoscopic surgery. However, minimal access surgery has been more popular retrieval method for retained surgical items from peritoneal and extraperitoneal cavities over the last few decades. We report a case of 32-year-old woman with fractured pelvic drain post-caesarean section. The patient developed abdominal distension, generalised tenderness, absent bowel sounds, bilious vomiting, and high-grade pyrexia. The mechanical obstruction was ruled out by computed tomography scan and the drain was tried to remove but the tube snapped, leaving about a quarter of its length. The drain remnant was retrieved using a non-invasive, inexpensive interventional radiology technique. We could not find any report in the literature describing this innovative approach for retrieving a fractured pelvic drain.