Abstract:

Introduction: Retained surgical suture needle during repairs of episiotomies or vagina tears is rare. Blind exploration can be demanding and is associated with massive dissection and hemorrhage. The aim is to present three cases encountered at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza Tanzania and their management.

Case Presentation: Three peri-partum cases encountered with retained needles within the same week; one post-episiotomy and two post-perineal tears repair. The first two cases underwent blind exploration of the retained needle without success. Panel discussions by the attending Obstetricians and Trauma Surgeons came up with consensus of exploring the retained needle under x-ray fluoroscopic imaging. All the three cases underwent x-ray fluoroscopic imaging exploration with successful retained needles retrieved without significant dissection or hemorrhage.

Conclusion: Image guidance using x-ray fluoroscopic imaging is time saving with a higher success rate and minimal complications than blind exploration. Early disclosure of a retained needle during the repair of an episiotomy or a perineal tear is very important in order to avoid retrieval complications and medico-legal implications.