Abstract:
a b s t r a c t
A retained drainage tube after surgery is rare and patients may be asymptomatic if it occurs.
The presence of a retained drainage tube may be first recognized on imaging and this re-
quires a high index of suspicion by radiologists. In this case report, we described an incidental
finding of an asymptomatic retained fractured drainage tube in the pelvis of a 32-year-old
female on ultrasonography for renal evaluation. This highlighted the need for radiologists to
have a high index of suspicion when performing ultrasonography on postoperative patients
and surgeons should be meticulous when removing drainage tubes postsurgery. The possibility
of a foreign body should be considered when unfamiliar findings are encountered on
imaging. Surgeons should inspect drainage tubes after removal to ensure the full length of
the tube is removed.
