Comparison of the results of open repair and laparoscopic repair with the PIRS method in the treatment of hydrocele in children.

PURPOSE: Hydrocele is a result of intraperitoneal fluid filling into the scrotum through the patent processus vaginalis (PPV). While the traditional approach of pediatric hydrocele has been open repair (OR) for years, laparoscopic repair (LR) of hydrocele has been accepted worldwide after the proven efficacy of laparoscopy. The purpose is to compare the outcomes of both techniques in a single center. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of all the patients who underwent hydrocele repair from August 2016 to November 2022. In our center, the standard approach was OR in hydrocele until the November of 2021. Starting from this date, LR has begun to be preferred, as the experience has increased and its success has been observed. In the LR group, single-port percutaneous internal ring suturing technique was performed. RESULTS: The data of 113 patients (OR 58.4% (n = 66), LR 41.6% (n = 47)) were collected. In preoperative examination, 12.4% (n = 14) patients were diagnosed as communicating and 87.6% (n = 99) non-communicating hydrocele. Intraoperatively, 65.5% (n = 74) patients were communicating and 34.5% (n = 39) were non-communicating. Total recurrence rate was 7% (n = 8). The OR group experienced a recurrence rate of 10.6% (n = 7), while the LR group experienced 2.12% (n = 1). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy may reveal intrabdominal connection of hydrocele better than open approach. It provides a high quality view of both inguinal rings and has the advantages of minimally invasive surgery.

An unusual journey of a retained fecalith.

Retained fecalith after appendectomy is an uncommon complication and is mostly presented as an intra-abdominal abscess. Development of an extra-abdominal abscess due to retained fecalith is extremely rare. There are only a few cases reported in adults. In this paper, we present a case complicated by a gluteal abscess with intra-abdominal extension due to an unusual journey of a retained fecalith after an appendectomy. As far as we know, this is the first case of a gluteal abscess due to a retained fecalith in children.

Laparoscopic Gastrostomy in Children: 10 Years of Experience.

OBJECTIVES: Laparoscopic gastrostomy is a widely used procedure in children with failure to thrive, feeding disorders, or neurologic impairment. Various methods of laparoscopic gastrostomy and fixing stomach to abdominal wall have been described. Trocar site primary gastrostomy under laparoscopic control is a simple and easy technique that does not require special instruments and a kit. The aim of this study was to present 10 years of experience in laparoscopic gastrostomy. METHODS: The charts of 128 children who underwent laparoscopic gastrostomy between 2006 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The data, including demographics, operative procedures, and complications, were recorded. All children underwent preoperative contrast imaging and 24-hour Ph monitorization. In all patients, the trocar site primary gastrostomy was done. A gastrostomy tube or a button was inserted into the stomach in the center of a purse-string suture loop, and the stomach was fixed to the anterior rectus sheath extracorporeally. RESULTS: There were 49 girls (38.3%) and 79 boys (61.7%). The mean age was 50 months at surgery (1 day-18 years), and the average body weight was 13 kg (2300 gr-65 kg). Both laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication and gastrostomy were done in 116 (90.6%) patients, and 12 (9.4%) patients had only laparoscopic gastrostomy. Infection at the site of gastrostomy, which was treated by antibiotics, was the most common complication, observed in 14 (11%) patients. Peritoneal leakage within 30 days was seen in 9 (7%) patients. Severe dislodgement of gastrostomy resulting in operative intervention occurred in 5 (3.9%) patients. Granuloma developed in 4 (3.1%) patients and was treated with silver nitrate. CONCLUSION: The trocar site primary laparoscopic gastrostomy is a safe and easy technique with complication rates comparable to other gastrostomy methods.

Canal of Nuck Hernia in a Female Infant Containing Uterus, Bilateral Adnexa and Bowel.

BACKGROUND: The canal of Nuck is a fold of peritoneum that invaginates into the inguinal canal and closes at or just before birth. If the canal of Nuck remains open in female infants, herniation of the uterus, adnexa and/or bowel loops may arise through the inguinal canal into the labia majora. CASE REPORT: The present case is a 12-week-old female infant with complaints of left groin swelling and discomfort. Ultrasonographic examination revealed a left inguinal hernia containing both adnexa (ovaries and fallopian tubes), uterus and small bowel loops with fluid. CONCLUSION: A hernia containing ovary and uterus should be considered as a possible cause in a female infant with a groin mass. Ultrasonography of the inguinal mass lesions should be performed routinely in a female infant for accurate diagnosis.

Late presentation of a traumatic rupture of the diaphragm with gastric volvulus in a child: report of a case.

Rupture of the diaphragm following blunt trauma is rare in children. A late presentation of a left diaphragmatic rupture with gastric volvulus is also highly exceptional. The authors report the case of a 5-year-old boy with a left diaphragmatic rupture, who presented with acute respiratory distress and volvulus of the herniated stomach 6 months after injury. The features of this uncommon entity are discussed with special emphasis on early diagnosis. It is concluded that repeated chest radiographs during hospitalization, as well as some days after discharge, should be obtained in trauma patients to detect a slowly increasing herniation.