[matwood]

Yeah, back in the late 90s I was able to observe a number of surgeries (different story) and I remember the counting being almost fanatical. They had what looked like a shoe holder that hung on a door for putting each rag that was used. Every instrument that was used was accounted for during and after. The surgeon was definitely not the counter.

[aelhage]

My wife is an OR nurse and jokes her primary job responsibility is counting. Frequently when surgery is going long it's because someone threw out or dropped something that was supposed to be accounted for and they won't close the patient up until that's found, even if that means sorting through the garbage.