Sponges, surgical tools, tubing, gauze, you name it and it’s been left in a patient by accident.

 As a matter of fact it happens more than 12 times a day according to a new report.

 The problems begin to escalate when infections and other compilations arise after those errors are made.

A Harvard health professor called it “a recurrent, persistent and nearly totally avoidable problem.”

 Health professionals are upset because they say the mistakes are nearly 100% preventable.

 There are very inexpensive technologies such as sponge trackers costing as little as $8-$12 dollars per surgery. That alone would end the majority of the problem because statistics show that almost 70% of the “oops” incidents involve surgical sponges.

In comparison the average malpractice suit costs the hospital, and by extension the public $150,000.

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