Laparotomy pad (lap sponge)
A sterile, single-use, large multi-ply cotton gauze pad (roughly 45x45 cm when unfolded) with a radiopaque tape tag sewn into one corner to aid location and retrieval.
How it is used
Used to pack off and protect viscera, retract organs, and absorb large volumes of blood or fluid during open abdominal, pelvic, or other major cavity surgery.
Clinical tip
Always keep the tag visible outside the cavity or secured with a clamp when packing deep; it is a mandatory part of the sponge count, as it is one of the items most often left behind if not tracked.
Sources
This entry is part of the Instriq catalog, researched and written per specialty from real web research -- never generated or invented without verification -- and reviewed skeptically and independently before publication. How this catalog is written.
History
Added to the catalog on 2026-10-05. Content last updated: 2026-10-07.
Dates derived from the project's public version-control history on GitHub, not a live collaborative edit log.