Doctor leaves surgical apparatus inside woman's womb

By Ko Dong-hwan

A woman in Ulsan is suing a doctor who left a surgical tool inside her after surgery.

According to Ulsan police, the woman, 55, identified only as Kim, went under surgery in September 2007 to remove a tumor in her uterus.

Once locating the tumor, the gynecologist concluded that it was too close to her intestines and stitched the area back up without removing the tumor.

For the six years since then, Kim said she suffered from intense pain in the womb area and regularly consumed pain killers and antibiotics.

It was in December last year when Kim decided to go to a different hospital to examine her conditions. There, doctors found a “colpotomy cup,’’ a tube-shaped surgery device, sewn insider her.

The doctor who did the previous surgery on Kim offered to settle, but Kim says she plans to pursue criminal charges.