Transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy versus laparoscopic appendectomy in children: a single center experience.

Laparoscopic Appendectomy (LPSA) is the first choice for appendectomy in pediatric surgery. Trans-Umbilical Laparoscopic Assisted Appendicectomy (TULAA) is another used technique. We compared both these procedures used for the treatment of acute appendicitis. The study was conducted between January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into two groups: LPSA and TULAA groups. The collected data were: operative time, number of conversions, time of canalization and hospital stay. A total of 181 patients were included: 73 were kept in the LPSA and 108 in the TULAA group. Mean operative time was 70.9 minutes (range 45-130 min) for LPS and 56.4 (30-145 min) for TULAA group (p <0.0001). Complications rate showed no statistically significant difference between both the two groups. However, conversions showed a statistically significant difference (p=0.04). Both techniques showed similar results. TULAA technique takes a significantly shorter operating time. The selection between LPSA and TULAA techniques depends on the experience of the surgeon's work and the personal laparoscopic learning curve. In our experience LPSA was a useful technique to improve the laparoscopic skill of the pediatric surgery residents.

Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis in an Adolescent Girl: An Atypical Presentation of an Unexpected Disease.

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is a common cause of vomiting in the first few weeks of life, but in rare cases, it may occur in older subjects with a major risk of delayed diagnosis and complications. We describe the case of a 12-year-and-8-month-old girl who presented to our department for epigastric pain, coffee-ground emesis, and melena, which arose after taking ketoprofen. An abdomen ultrasound showed thickening (1 cm) of the gastric pyloric antrum, while upper-GI endoscopy documented esophagitis and antral gastritis with a non-bleeding pyloric ulcer. During her hospital stay, she had no further episodes of vomiting and was therefore discharged with a diagnosis of "NSAIDs-induced acute upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding". After 14 days, following recurrence of abdominal pain and vomiting, she was hospitalized again. At endoscopy, pyloric sub-stenosis was found, abdominal CT showed thickening of large gastric curvature and pyloric walls, and an Rx barium study documented delayed gastric emptying. On suspicion of idiopathic hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, she underwent Heineke-Mikulicz pyloroplasty with resolution of symptoms and restoration of a regular caliber of the pylorus. Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, although occurring rarely in older children, should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis of recurrent vomiting at any age.

Versatility of one-trocar surgery in children.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: One-trocar surgery (OTS) includes all video-surgical techniques performed using a single 10-mm port and an operative scope. These techniques can be completely endoscopic or endoscopic assisted. Since 1997, OTS has become the approach of choice in our institution for a variety of laparoscopic, retroperitoneoscopic, and thoracoscopic operations. We report our experience with this technique. METHODS: Four hundred fifty-eight patients (age range, 3 months to 17 years) underwent OTS from October 1997 to December 2008. The procedures were transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted (TULA) appendectomy (182 patients), TULA small bowel resection (14 patients), TULA intestinal biopsies (7 patients), laparoscopic adhesiolysis (6 patients), laparoscopic-assisted liver biopsies (5 patients), laparoscopic revision of peritoneal dialysis catheter (3 patients), retroperitoneoscopic varicocelectomy (202 patients), retroperitoneoscopic-assisted renal biopsies (4 patients), retroperitoneoscopic drainage of posttraumatic urinoma (1 patient), retroperitoneoscopic-assisted pyeloplasty (15 patients), and thoracoscopic pleural debridement and decortication for empyema (19 patients). RESULTS: The procedure was completed using only one trocar in 399 cases (87.1%). All conversions to multitrocar or open surgery were elective and regarded the retroperitoneoscopic approach during the learning curve (28 of 222, 12.6%; 21 varicocelectomies and 7 pyeloplasties) and the TULA appendectomy because of the appendix mobilization failure (31 of 182, 17%). There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications related to OTS. Wound infection was observed after two TULA appendectomies (1.3%). CONCLUSIONS: According to our experience, OTS is a feasible and versatile technique in pediatric surgery, providing a safe, effective, and the least invasive treatment for several different diseases.

Retroiliac double ureters in duplex system: incidental retroperitoneoscopic diagnosis.

Retroiliac ureter is a rare congenital anomaly. In this paper, we present a case in which retroiliac double ureters were incidentally found during a retroperitoneoscopic nephroureterectomy procedure in a 5-year-old boy with dysplastic right kidney in duplex system and ureterocele. Ureters were both in the retroiliac artery position. The nephroureterectomy procedure was completed retroperitoneoscopically. After a literature review, this case appeared to be the first report of retroiliac double ureters in a duplex system.

One-trocar transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted management of Meckel's diverticulum in children.

PURPOSE: Transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted intestinal surgery using only "one trocar" is a very minimal invasive procedure. The authors present their experience for the management of Meckel's diverticulum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2001 and December 2004, 9 transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted procedures were performed for Meckel's diverticulum. The median age of the patients was 6.1 years (range, 6 months-13.6 years). Six patients were admitted for intestinal bleeding and technetium-99m pertechnetate scan was positive in 3. Three patients had recurrent abdominal pain and abdominal ultrasound scan showed a cystlike structure. An intraumbilical Hasson 10-mm trocar was inserted in an open fashion. Using a 10-mm operative laparoscope, the terminal ileum was grasped with an atraumatic instrument and exteriorized through the umbilicus. Ileal exploration and treatment were performed extracorporeally. RESULTS: Meckel's diverticulum was identified in 8 patients and ileal duplication in 1 patient: intestinal resection/anastomosis (n = 7) or excision of diverticulum (n = 2) was performed. There were no operative complications. Median hospital stay was 4 days (range, 3-7 days). At a median followup of 24 months (range, 3-51 months), all patients are asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the one trocar transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted procedure is safe and effective for the diagnosis and treatment of Meckel's diverticulum, with excellent cosmetic results.

Retroperitoneoscopic varicocelectomy in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: In the pediatric population the failure rate of sclerotherapy for the treatment of varicocele has been reported to be up to 35%. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of retroperitoneoscopic varicocelectomy (RV) in children and adolescents. METHODS: A total of 97 patients were operated on for left-sided varicocele using the retroperitoneoscopic approach between January 1999 and July 2003. Median age was 12.3 years (range, 6-16 years). A 10-mm subcostal retroperitoneoscopic port was used. The operation was performed through an operative laparoscope according to Palomo's technique, with the mass division of spermatic vessels after bipolar coagulation below the renal vein. Elective conversion to laparoscopic transperitoneal varicocelectomy was performed in cases of difficulties in identifying the vessels. The postoperative follow-up included clinical and ultrasound assessment (range, 6-48 months). RESULTS: A total of 17 (17.6%) patients needed elective conversion to laparoscopic transperitoneal varicocelectomy. In RV, the mean operative time was 28 minutes (range, 15-55 minutes), the mean hospital stay was 2 days, persistence rate was 11.2%, and hydrocele occurrence was 6.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the RV is an acceptable technique to achieve the high division of the spermatic vessels. The advantage of this anatomic approach is its very low invasiveness.