 Retained surgical items e.g. sponges, needles, and instruments remain the most frequently reported serious adverse event for five of the last six years. Retained surgical sponges have resulted in negative patient outcomes reoperation, readmissionprolonged hospital stay, infection, fistulas bowel obstructions, and death. The national standard for prevention of retained surgical sponges relies heavily on manual counting several times before, during, and after the surgical procedure. If a sponge is missing, a series of steps are taken to reconcile the count. These steps require extra time and pull personnel away from other competing priorities. If the final closing count remains incorrect, it is common practice to obtain an intraoperative radiograph to rule out retention of a surgical sponge. This X-Ray is expensive and increases the time required for the surgery. 