Surgical Staples Left In

[Cagney2712]

This may be a strange question,  but I'm wondering if anyone has had any of their surgical staples accidently left in??  I had surgery on Feb 5th (TAH/BSO) for a borderline complex cyst, and all of my staples were removed 10 days later (or so I thought).  They began the surgery as a laparoscopy, so an incision was made right into my belly button. When they had to switch to a laparotomy, the gyn/oncoloist basically just started at where the umbilical incision was, and lengthened it.  My recovery has been completely uneventful; no problems at all, and certainly easier than I had anticipated.  For the past few weeks though, the area around my belly button has been VERY itchy. I had expected some itchiness, so figured it was normal. I also noticed sort of a "pinching" feeling if I rubbed against anything.  This evening, I saw a tiny bit of dried blood inside my belly button. I thought perhaps it was from all the scratching I was doing. But, when I grabbed a mirror for a closer look, I discovered that 2 or 3 surgical staples were still there!! I am a bit full-figured, so I admit that staples inside my belly button wouldn't be obvious. But since I've been back to the doctors twice now for follow-ups and to have my incision checked, I can't believe no one noticed .

Of course, my doctors office was closed by the time I called, so I have to wait till tomorrow to talk to them.  Obviously, the staples need to come out NOW, and of course I suspect it is probably going to hurt like heck to have them taken out some 8 weeks after the surgery.   Has anyone had anything like this happen??? I'm wondering what sort of problems could have happened if I hadn't discovered them and they stayed there for even longer??!!  

[Staplehead]

I had nasal polyps removed almost two years ago and for a year and a half or so I have been having temporal pain went to my GP she said well you have disk problem it's referred pain from neck so I have been to chiropractor all year still no relief then I'm sent to PT neck feels great but temporal pain still there so I have MRI and the find a staple on the area of my temporal artery how it got there I have no idea they asked if I ever had surgery on my head I said no only nasal polyps removed  same day surgery but he never said he left a staple he would have to tell me I'm sure other than that we don't k ow where it came from I'm having it removed soon and hopefully the temple pain will gone

[cjsouth2nd]

I had an ovary removed due to endometriosis 5 years ago, and since then the exact spot where my "doctor" did the surgery has hurt far worse than before the surgery.  I have seen probably 12 doctors, including ER visits, due to this pain, which really got severe during my period, and got addicted to pain meds for a bit, which was hell.  All of the doctors got her notes on the surgery.  The notes, which I didn't see, make note of the staples used to seal up where my ovary was.  Now I had a hysterectomy by a decent doctor last month.  At my post-op she showed me a photo of what looked like some frankenstein picture of what that doctor had done--she had used at least 10 metal staples.  In all this time, not one doctor (including her) told me the pain could be because I have metal staples all over the place there.  It put a strain on my marriage, I was seeing a shrink---chronic pain takes a toll.  I missed a lot of work too.  So yes, I am pissed as hell and I am going after her and it will be interesting to see if I can get some of my money back that I have wasted over the past 5 years PLUS pain and suffering.  I seriously want to do a little surgery on her at this point.

[jdsbarb]

I am like another lady on here. I just recently went to the chiropractor & had xrays done. Found out I have 26 staples in my stomach from hysterectomy 30 years ago. Now I have a lump in my breast & they want to do an MRI & I don't know whether to have it or not. I have never had any problems with the staples that I know of, but I don't want to have the MRI & start having problems. My chiropractor was dumbfounded. She said "I have never seen anything like this in my life. I had no idea I had these in me. Do I have the MRI or just go staight to a biopsy?

[ladiee]

I am 22 years old and had my apendix removed in 2008. I have been having on and off again pain by the scar and its extremely uncomfortable, as well as bloating that has been happening. I had went to the doctors about 5 times and said nothing was wrong. I went to the hospital, and they had given me an MRI and was told shortly after that I still have staples in my stomach to consult my surgeon. I went to my surgeon and said they should go away on its own. It has been 3 years since my operation and am in an extreme amount of pain.

Can someone please tell me if this is normal? If so how long will it take for them to go away?

[lexi9435]

I have been suffering from abdominal pain since my hysterectomy in 2008.  Three years, three surgeries and 38 doctors later, I found a surgeon who was willing to perform concious pain mapping.  I was partially awake when he did the laparoscopy, then touched certain areas inside my abdomen to find the source of my pain.  He found that I had approx. 40 staples left from my first surgery and that they were causing all of the pain.  I am now on the path to recovery, but have a lot of unanswered questions.  My doctor is very curious as to why so many staples were used and why they were left in.  We still can't believe it, but my pain is almost gone.  Last August, I went to Mayo Clinic in Arizona and was examined by multiple doctors, had close to 100 tests performed and they told me that they couldn't help me....which is something I am used to hearing, but couldn't believe it.  They finally told me that 30% of the women who go through there with chronic pelvic pain never find an answer.  I couldn't believe it.  I was bedridden most of the time and on very strong pain meds.  My family and I are excited to have our life back, but lost all that time.  How many other people have suffered?

[NeedRelief840]

I had gastric surgery more than 30 years ago, I've suffered with pain, bloating, burning and Acid Reflux etc.  Last month I had an x-ray on my lung, the tech told me she saw metal in my stomach and asked if I had any metal in my body, I told her not that I know of.  My surgery was severe as the scar is from between my breast to my belly button, I cannot sleep due to stomach problems all day & every night. No matter what I eat it causes me discomfort.  I'm thinking maybe the staples from the surgery along with adhesions scar tissue maybe the culprit.  Has anyone experience anything like this?  If so please email me @***@****.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  God bless.