Lost and found: trends in litigation and compensation related to retained surgical foreign bodies

In conclusion, even if the economic dimension of claims related to retained surgical foreign bodies is relatively contained, they are associated with a 2-fold risk of criminal lawsuits for doctors. In addition, patients are less confident about out-of-court settlements provided directly by hospital committees compared to judicial court trials. This indicates that patients perceive a retained surgical foreign body (RSFB) as a never event, which requires less justification compared to other wrongful medical care incidents. This perception is likely driven more by a breach of trust in doctors and hospitals than by the severity of consequences, which are typically mild or limited to temporary impairment.