=A health board in New Zealand confirmed that a patient had a plate-sized surgical device left inside her during a C-section.
An Alexis retractor, which is used to pull back edges of a wound, was left inside the mother in 2020. In the months following the procedure, the woman felt chronic pain, and a 2021 ER visit revealed the presence of the device.
The device was finally removed. Commissioner Morag McDowell said that care “fell significantly below the appropriate standard in this case.”
