Woman complains of extreme pain after tummy tuck at a private clinic — what doctors found inside her led to a police complaint
Sometimes, a tummy ache may not exactly be caused by a medical condition, but rather by medical negligence. A 53-year-old woman suddenly began experiencing severe stomach pain after undergoing an abdominoplasty, a common cosmetic procedure also known as a tummy tuck, in Naples, Italy. However, upon undergoing diagnostic tests at a different clinic, she was left speechless by what doctors discovered inside her body. As reported by PEOPLE on May 10, 2026, the shocking test results led her to immediately file a police complaint.
After the woman was discharged following the surgery, she reportedly experienced sharp pain, unusual discomfort, and episodes of fainting. When she contacted the surgeon again, he ordered tests that revealed that she had developed an infection and prescribed antibiotics. However, seven months later, when the pain failed to subside, she visited another diagnostic center for further evaluation, and what the tests revealed left her stunned. Doctors at the clinic allegedly found a pair of scissors inside her abdomen that had been left there during the surgery.
According to reports, the doctor at the diagnostic center did not disclose this information to the patient first. Instead, they allegedly informed the surgeon who had originally performed the procedure. The surgeon later instructed the patient to return to the hospital for emergency surgery to remove the scissors. However, she refused and instead chose to file a complaint.
According to a research study published on PubMed by Rabi Sankar Biswas et al., doctors may be held liable when foreign objects are left inside a patient's body after surgery. The study explains that when surgical gauze or towels are accidentally retained inside the body following the operation, the condition is known as Gossypiboma or textiloma. "Gossypiboma, in the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur, proves that the surgeon is negligent," the study noted.
The study cited a case of a 39-year-old man who underwent an emergency appendicectomy. Soon after the operation, he began experiencing fever, occasional vomiting, pain, distension of the abdomen, and constipation. A later examination revealed that an intraluminal surgical sponge had been retained inside his body, located 15 cm proximal to the ileocaecal junction.
The study concluded, "The surgeon should always remain vigilant and cautious, as the damage done once is done forever. Hence, prevention always remains better than cure." While the Italian woman had reportedly planned to undergo surgery to remove the scissors, the discovery left her deeply shocked. The incident also raised concerns about how the case was handled after the object was discovered, particularly the allegation that the patient was not informed immediately.