Colon patch esophagoplasty for esophageal strictures refractory to multi-modal treatment revisited.

INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Esophageal strictures due to caustic ingestion (CI) may require repeat esophageal dilations and dilation adjuvants, including local anti-fibrinogenic injection therapy, stent placement, and radial stricture incisions. Refractory strictures require surgical intervention. Pedicled colon patch esophagoplasty (CPE) may avoid the morbidity associated with total esophageal replacement, although reports of its use are limited. Indications and outcomes for CPE in patients undergoing repeat esophageal stricture dilations following caustic ingestion are described according to our local experience and literature reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of indications for surgical management of esophageal strictures to tertiary pediatric surgical services between 2015 and 2020 focused on patients undergoing CPE. English-language literature (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus) describing CPE was also reviewed. RESULTS: Eight (12%) out of 65 patients with esophageal strictures requiring 7 or more esophageal dilations with poor response underwent surgical stricture management over a 6 year period, which included stricture resection and re-anastomosis in 2 patients, total esophageal replacement with colon graft in 2 patients, gastric pull-up in 1 patient, and CPE in 3 patients. The patients undergoing CPE were aged 3-8 years and had 17 to more than 25 dilations following caustic ingestion over a 2-5 year period. One patient had a 4 cm stricture; the other 2 had strictures 7 cm in length. A transverse colon patch based on the middle and left colic vessels was utilized in all three, with the vascular pedicle placed retrogastrically via the esophageal hiatus and the patch inlay esophagoplasty concluded via right thoracotomy. Post-operative contrast studies showed near-normal anatomy, and the patients could tolerate full oral diets. During a 9-36 month follow-up period, only 2 patients required dilations of a proximal anastomotic stricture at 1 and 5 months postoperatively. One patient required additional proximal stricturoplasty with advancement of the original graft across the stricture via a cervical surgical approach. CONCLUSION: Colon patch esophagoplasty to restore esophageal luminal continuity and allow a normal diet should be considered for refractory esophageal strictures. CPE had excellent functional outcomes in our 3 patients and should be considered in selected cases instead of total esophageal replacement.

Surgical implications of HIV infection.

According to the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 37.7 million adults and children worldwide were estimated to be living with HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) at the end of 2020 [UNAIDS. (2022). http://www.unaids.org . Accessed 30 May 2022]. Most reside in low- and middle-income countries, with approximately 67% in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). At the end of 2020, the total number of children less than 15 years of age living with HIV infection was 2.6 million, of whom 2.3 million (88%) were living in SSA. Aggressive interventions have reduced the annual number of incident (new) HIV infections among children to around 150,000 [UNAIDS. (2022). http://www.unaids.org . Accessed 30 May 2022]. However, paediatric HIV infection remains a pandemic affecting children predominantly in SSA but is also seen in Asia and sporadically elsewhere particularly in areas of civil strife such as is currently the case in Ukraine [War in Ukraine. (2022). https://www.unaids.org/en/War-Ukraine-special . Accessed Apr 2022]. New HIV infections among children declined by more than half (54%) from 2010 to 2020, due mainly to the increased provision of antiretroviral therapy to pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV [UNAIDS. (2022). http://www.unaids.org . Accessed 30 May 2022]. These programmes include early identification of HIV infection in pregnant or breastfeeding women through routine HIV testing, provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to all HIV-infected women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, provision of antiretroviral prophylaxis to their newborn infants during the first 6-12 weeks of life, delivery by elective Caesarean section when indicated, promotion of exclusive breastfeeding, early infancy screening for HIV infection, and initiation of ART in infants with HIV infection. HIV-infected children may require surgery either as an emergency to deal with a life-threatening incidental condition unrelated to HIV infection or for a complication of the disease such as tuberculosis or an aggressive soft tissue infection like necrotising fasciitis. Non-emergency surgical procedures may be required to assist in the diagnosis of an HIV-related condition or to correct a routine surgical problem electively. Surgical conditions associated with HIV infection are described under categories of soft tissue or organ-specific infections requiring drainage or debridement; gastrointestinal tract disease and complications; infections in the perineal area; malignancies and HIV-associated vasculitis. Although surgical outcomes are less favourable in HIV-infected children, pre-operative treatment of coinfections, administration of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, nutritional support and antiretroviral therapy, together with peri-operative antibiotic prophylaxis have resulted in excellent short-term outcomes [World Health Organization. Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection: Recommendations for a public health approach, June 201 http://www.apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/85321/1/9789241505727_eng.pdf?ua=1 ; World Health Organization Guideline on when to start antiretroviral therapy and on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV, September 2015. http://www.apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/186275/1/9789241509565_eng.pdf?ua=1;Eley et al. in BMC Infect Dis 2:3, 2002;Karpelowsky et al. in Pediatr Surg Int 28:1007-1014, 2012;].

Surgery for the complex Wilms tumour.

The prognosis of children with Wilms tumour has greatly improved since the introduction of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy more than 70 years ago with a current overall long-term survival approaching 90%. Before this, surgery was the only option with around 20% survival, even in low-risk categories. The focus is now on management options for those patients in specific subgroups, who continue to have lower event-free survival and who suffer from the long-term effects of treatment. These include those with anaplastic histology, bilateral Wilms, biologically high-risk tumours and those that relapse (Aldrink et al. in J Pediatr Surg 54(3):390-397, 2019). The major advances that have already been made in risk assessment and tailoring the chemotherapy/radiotherapy to achieve maximum advantage with minimum toxicity and long-term morbidity have been predicated on safe and complete resection and staging of the tumour. There are, however, still surgical challenges faced with respect to resection of 'complex' tumours; thus, surgeons need to understand their role and advance their expertise in the overall treatment of children with Wilms tumour. These include very large tumours not responding to chemotherapy, ruptured tumours, tumours with intravascular invasion into the inferior vena cava (± 10%), heart and hepatic veins (± 4%) and Wilms tumours in horseshoe kidneys (< 1%) (Kieran and Ehrlich in Urol Oncol https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urolonc.2015.05.029, 2015). This review describes surgical strategies and techniques used in these situations, gleaned from the authors' experience in the surgical management of over 300 children with Wilms tumours in our centres over the last 30 years.

Correlation of 99mTc sucralfate scan and endoscopic grading in caustic oesophageal injury.

PURPOSE: To determine a correlation between the 99mTc sucralfate scan and the endoscopy findings in children with caustic oesophageal injury. METHODS: This is an observational analytic study of children who had both 99mTc sucralfate scan and endoscopy after caustic substance ingestion at our institution in a period between January 2009 and September 2016. The oesophageal injury was classified into low grade and high grade according to the degree of adhesion on 99mTc sucralfate scan and modification of Zargar endoscopic grading. RESULTS: Out of a total of 197 children, 40 children were identified who had both investigations done on average 26 h post-injury. Low-grade adhesion on 99mTc sucralfate scan was found in 27 children (68%), and all had low-grade Zargar's oesophageal injuries. None of these subsequently developed residual pathology. Thirteen had high-grade adhesion and five of these had high-grade injury on endoscopy. Three (23%) developed oesophageal strictures. Correlation of 99mTc sucralfate and endoscopic findings reached statistical significance with a p value of 0.0014. No morbidity was associated with either the scan or endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that low-grade sucralfate scan finding has the potential to successfully eliminate the need for invasive endoscopy under general anaesthesia and thereby reducing procedure-related morbidity, hospitalization and associated costs. However, mandatory endoscopy is required in children with high-grade adhesion seen on 99mTc sucralfate scan. This requires confirmation using a larger prospective study.

Outcomes of Esophageal Replacement: Gastric Pull-Up and Colonic Interposition Procedures.

AIM: No consensus exists about the optimal surgical technique for esophageal replacement. This study reports the surgical outcomes for the gastric pull-up and the colonic interposition procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of children undergoing esophageal replacement surgery between January 2001 and June 2015 across four different pediatric surgery centers was conducted. Data collected included indications, epidemiology, surgical technique, complications, and outcomes. Patients were divided into group A, those that had a gastric pull-up procedure and group B, those that had a colonic interposition procedure. RESULTS: In total, 50 patients were included; 29 in group A and 21 in group B. Indications included esophageal atresia, caustic ingestion, and infective esophageal stricture. The median age at the time of surgery was 13 months. The mean length of follow-up was 5.2 years. Three patients died giving a mortality rate of 6%; 2 in group A and 1 in group B.In both groups, early postoperative complications included infective complications, such as wound infections, sepsis, and pneumonia (11), anastomotic leak (7), and respiratory complications (7). Late complications included adhesive bowel obstruction (2), anastomotic strictures (4), redundancy (1), and jejunostomy problems (1). Septic complications and anastomotic strictures occurred more frequently in group B. Further surgery was needed in eight patients; this was significantly higher in group B. Full oral feeding was achieved within 6 months in 91.5%. CONCLUSION: The gastric pull-up and colonic interposition have comparable mortality and outcomes. The colonic interposition was associated with a higher rate of early septic complications, anastomotic strictures, and need for further surgery.

Management of bilateral Wilms tumours.

Wilms tumour is named after Max Wilms. It is an embryonal tumour derived from the metanephros. It is the commonest childhood renal tumour and the third commonest paediatric malignancy. Synchronous bilateral Wilms tumours (BWT) represent 4-7% of all Wilms tumours (WT) and present at a younger age than unilateral Wilms tumours. At least 10% of synchronous BWTs have unfavourable histology, and up to 22% are associated with genitourinary abnormalities, aniridia, WAGR syndrome, Denys-Drash syndrome, hemihypertrophy, or one of the other overgrowth syndromes. The long-term disease-free survival rate for patients with unilateral WT is approaching 90%, and is around 70% for those with metastatic disease. For both synchronous and metachronous Wilms tumours the prognosis is less favourable with reported cure rates approaching 80% in the best centres and lower in resource poor settings. There is potential for a reduced quality of life due to renal insufficiency and the possible need for renal transplantation. The major clinical challenge in BWTs is preservation of functioning renal tissue using nephron-sparing surgical techniques, while achieving cure with minimum therapy-related morbidity. Mortality is generally associated with progressive disease of anaplastic tumours. Chemotherapy followed by nephron-sparing surgery has been able, in most cases, to eradicate the tumour while preserving renal function. Radiotherapy has largely been avoided because of fears of long-term radiation injury to the residual functioning renal mass. Patient selection, appropriate pre- and post-operative chemotherapy and skilled surgical techniques all contribute to excellent outcomes where these are achievable.

Management of bilateral Wilms tumours.

Wilms tumour is named after Max Wilms. It is an embryonal tumour derived from the metanephros. It is the commonest childhood renal tumour and the third commonest paediatric malignancy. Synchronous bilateral Wilms tumours (BWT) represent 4-7% of all Wilms tumours (WT) and present at a younger age than unilateral Wilms tumours. At least 10% of synchronous BWTs have unfavourable histology, and up to 22% are associated with genitourinary abnormalities, aniridia, WAGR syndrome, Denys-Drash Syndrome, hemihypertrophy, or one of the other overgrowth syndromes. The long-term disease-free survival (DFS) rate for patients with unilateral Wilms' tumours is approaching 90%, and is around 70% for those with metastatic disease. For both synchronous and metachronous Wilms tumours the prognosis is less favourable with reported cure rates approaching 80% in the best centres and lower in resource poor settings. There is potential for a reduced quality of life due to renal insufficiency and the possible need for renal transplantation. The major clinical challenge in BWTs is preservation of functioning renal tissue using nephron sparing surgical techniques, while achieving cure with minimum therapy-related morbidity. Mortality is generally associated with progressive disease of anaplastic tumours. Chemotherapy followed by nephron sparing surgery has been able, in most cases, to eradicate the tumour while preserving renal function. Radiotherapy has largely been avoided because of fears of long term radiation injury to the residual functioning renal mass. Patient selection, appropriate pre- and post-operative chemotherapy and skilled surgical techniques all contribute to excellent outcomes where these are achievable.

Management of paediatric liver trauma.

Of all the intra-abdominal solid organs, the liver is the most vulnerable to blunt abdominal trauma. The majority of liver ruptures present in combination with other abdominal or extra-abdominal injuries. Over the last three decades, the management of blunt liver trauma has evolved from obligatory operative to non-operative management in over 90% of cases. Penetrating liver injuries more often require operative intervention and are managed according to adult protocols. The greatest clinical challenge remains the timely identification of the severely damaged liver with immediate and aggressive resuscitation and expedition to laparotomy. The operative management can be taxing and should ideally be performed in a dedicated paediatric surgical centre with experience in dealing with such trauma. Complications can occur early or late and include haemobilia, intrahepatic duct rupture with persistent biliary fistula, bilaemia, intrahepatic haematoma, post-traumatic cysts, vascular outflow obstruction, and gallstones. The prognosis is generally excellent.

Total Esophageal Gastric Dissociation for the Failed Antireflux Procedure in a Child with Microgastria.

Microgastria is a very rare anomaly characterized by a very small tubular stomach that presents with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease due to the small reservoir capacity of the stomach. We present a patient with microgastria-related reflux and a failed fundoplication who was treated with total esophageal gastric dissociation (TEGD) resulting in an excellent outcome. In our experience with this good long-term result, we would suggest that TEGD be added to the armamentarium of procedures that can be used in the treatment of microgastria.

The significance of social determinants of health on the outcome of surgical neonates in a third world setting.

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine whether the outcome of general surgery neonates, cared for within our unit, was influenced by socio-economic status as measured by a selection of social variables [primary caregiver's education level, primary caregiver's age, and living standards measure (LSM)] and to determine the rate for each of the three levels of the outcome measure (i.e., good outcome, poor outcome, and deceased). METHODS: A consecutive sampling strategy was used, including all subjects in our neonatal data base with major surgical diagnoses operated on between 1 July 2010 and 31 August 2011. The primary caregiver of each patient was questioned with respect to the variables and these results were analysed along with clinical information from patient records. Multinomial logistic regression was used to answer both objectives. RESULTS: The final multinomial logistic model is highly significant and includes only LSM as a predictor variable. As LSM increases by one level, the risk of experiencing a poor outcome decreases by 82 % as compared to those patients experiencing a good outcome. As LSM increases by one level, the risk of neonatal death also decreases by 88 % as compared to those patients experiencing a good outcome. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the probability of a neonate having a good outcome increases with increasing LSM.

Caustic injury of the oesophagus.

Caustic ingestion continues to be a significant problem world-wide especially in developing countries and particularly in the under 6 years age group. The presence or absence of symptoms or oral lesions does not reliably predict the existence or severity of oesophageal lesions. Upper endoscopy remains the mainstay diagnostic modality for evaluation to define the extent and severity of the injury. The best predictor of morbidity and mortality is the extent of injury as assessed during initial evaluation. Early management strategies for caustic ingestion are well defined. Controversy still surrounds the use of steroids, antibiotics, antacid therapy in the acute phase, and the use of oesophageal stents and the frequency, timing and method of dilatation in the prevention and management of oesophageal strictures. There is a pressing need for non-invasive diagnostic modalities and effective therapeutic options to evaluate and treat the complications associated with caustic ingestion. Indications for definitive surgery or bypass and the type of procedure to use are also subject to ongoing debate.

Liver tumours in children: Current surgical management and role of Transplantation.

This article reviews the current surgical management of liver tumours in children in the light of improved chemotherapy, surgical techniques and outcomes from transplantation. It is a principle of management that complete removal of a tumour must be achieved for cure. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may downstage advanced local disease to enable safe curative tumour resection. When this is not achievable, transplant is indicated. Conventional indications for transplant are unresectable stages 3 and 4 tumours confined to the liver. With the realisation that lifelong immunosuppressive therapy has considerable adverse consequences, there has been a recent trend towards extreme and 'acrobatic' liver resection to avoid transplantation, but still obtain a cure. The current literature is reviewed in the light of these trends and our own experience.

Magnetic resonance imaging versus histopathology in Wilms tumor and nephroblastomatosis: 3 examples of noncorrelation.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the principal tool for Wilms tumor (WT) assessment and follow-up. MRI and histopathologic findings were not congruent in 2 of the q30 scanned patients with renal masses (2008 to 2011). Three lesions thought to be WT on MRI were found to be a sclerotic nephrogenic rest (1), cystic renal dysplasia (1), and focal chronic pyelonephritis (1). The "typical" features suggesting nephroblastomatosis and WT on MRI are unreliable and such lesions require biopsy for histopathologic diagnosis, especially when nephron-sparing surgery is necessary to preserve renal function.

Non-transplant surgery for short bowel syndrome.

The goal of any treatment programme for short bowel syndrome SBS is to achieve nutritional enteral autonomy. This must begin with conservation of as much bowel as possible from the time of first presentation. Frequent causes of the short bowel syndrome are intestinal atresia, necrotizing enterocolitis, midgut volvulus, extended intestinal aganglionosis, 'vanished gut' often associated with gastroschisis and occasionally catastrophic trauma. Atresia is more amenable to successful surgery than other causes, except when associated with gastroschisis. Intrinsic dysmotility has a poor prognosis. Intestinal lengthening procedures are only indicated if there is sufficient bowel dilatation. Extended intestinal aganglionosis is rarely amenable to any form of non-transplant surgery. Options available are to conserve bowel, close stomas early (use all available bowel to the maximum or even re-feed stoma effluent into the distal unused bowel), release adhesions causing obstruction, resect strictures, taper or excise localized dilatations and finally address dilated bowel with lengthening and tailoring operations. These procedures aim to improve effective peristalsis, thereby reducing bacterial overgrowth and improving nutrient contact with enteral mucosa to maximize absorption and intestinal adaptation. The Bianchi longitudinal splicing operation and the serial transverse enteroplasty operations have stood the test of time in providing considerable improvement in enteral nutritional autonomy in around 60% of cases. In SBS without dilatation attempts at 'mechanically' delaying transit (nipple valves, reversed bowel segments, colon interposition) have had inconsistent outcomes. Growing neomucosa and lengthening bowel by longitudinal stretch are still experimental.

Omental cyst presenting with profound anaemia.

A male infant presented acutely with profound anaemia and abdominal distension. At laparotomy, a huge omental cyst was found. We reviewed our experience of this rare cause of abdominal pathology identifying five further cases since 2005, with a variety of presentations. The optimal treatment, complete resection, is associated with a low morbidity. The presentation with profound anaemia and shock due to haemorrhage into the cyst is unusual.

A prospective assessment of renal oxygenation in children undergoing laparoscopy using near-infrared spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to determine whether a decrease in renal oxygenation occurs during CO2 pneumoperitoneum in children with normal renal function undergoing laparoscopy. METHODS: Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) probes were applied to both the lateral flank (T10-L2) and lateral cerebral area of all patients with normal renal function undergoing a laparoscopic procedure. Information was recorded in 5-s intervals for 15-min before, during, and for 15-min after pneumoperitoneum insufflation and desufflation. Simultaneously, additional hemodynamic parameters (arterial saturation, mean arterial pressure, end tidal CO2, and urine output) were recorded every 5-min. Pneumoperitoneum pressures used were: 0-1 month old, <6 mmHg; 2-12 months old, <8 mmHg; 1-2 years old, <10 mmHg, and 2-8 years old, <12 mmHg. The lowest possible pressure was used to obtain adequate vision. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were enrolled in the study. Renal regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) did not decrease significantly between baseline (preinsufflation), insufflation, and desufflation of the pneumoperitoneum (p = 0.343). Meta-analysis of this data demonstrated a pooled weighted difference of -1.4 (-3.5 to 0.54), confirming no significant change. A significant increase in cerebral rSO2 occurred during the insufflation period of the CO2 pneumoperitoneum (p = 0.001). Heart rate (F = 11.05; p < 0.001) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (F = 19.2; p < 0.001) also increased significantly during the laparoscopy. No significant correlation was identified between fluid input and urine output during the laparoscopy (r = 0.012; p = 0.953). CONCLUSIONS: Renal hypoxia does not occur during laparoscopic surgery in children if the minimum age-appropriate intra-abdominal pressures are used. Alternative causes must account for the oliguria and anuria demonstrated in children undergoing laparoscopy.

Magnetic bead toy ingestion: uses and disuses in children.

A 2-year-old female presented acutely with peritonitis and small bowel obstruction. An abdominal radiograph demonstrated a radiopaque foreign body. At laparotomy she was found to have bowel perforations with entero-enteric fistulae caused by four magnets. The magnets were removed, and debridement and closure of the perforations performed. We review our case and highlight this problem to other medical practitioners as a potential cause of significant morbidity and mortality in the paediatric population.

Management of nine cases of Wilms' tumour with intracardiac extension - a single centre experience.

AIM: The aim of this study was to review the management of children with Wilms' tumour who have intracardiac extension. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected from patient notes regarding presentation, operative details, and outcome. RESULTS: From 1984 through 2011, 264 children with Wilms' tumour were treated at our hospital. Nine (3.4%) had cavo-atrial extension of the tumour thrombus. The thrombus extended into the right ventricle in two children and involved the hepatic veins in both, and also two others. Pre-operative chemotherapy was administered in eight children with complete regression of the intra-cardiac tumour thrombus in two cases. One child died preoperatively of septicaemia and respiratory failure after two doses of chemotherapy. Six children with intra-cardiac tumour were operated on under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest (DHCA). The mean ischemic time was 30 min. There was one peri-operative death in a child with hepatic vein involvement and Budd-Chiari syndrome. All others made a good postoperative recovery. All tumours were favourable histology. To date four children are still alive and disease free. Three children have died as a result of pulmonary metastases. CONCLUSION: Intracardiac extension of Wilms' tumour is rare, and the management is technically challenging. Pre-operative chemotherapy is effective. CPB and DHCA for excision of the cavo-atrial tumour thrombus may be necessary. Distant metastatic disease is common and determines long term prognosis. Hepatic vein extension complicates surgery and remains challenging.

Comparison of in-hospital morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected and uninfected children after surgery.

PURPOSE: Increasingly HIV-infected children can be expected to require surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of HIV-infected and HIV-unexposed children undergoing surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study of children less than or equal to 60 months admitted to a tertiary pediatric surgical service from July 2004 to July 2008. Children underwent age-definitive HIV testing and were followed up postoperatively for complications, length of stay and mortality. RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty-seven children were enrolled: 82 (23 %) HIV-infected and 245 (67 %) were HIV-unexposed. Eighty-four (26 %) children were malnourished, which was higher in the HIV-infected group [41 (50.0 %) vs. 43 (17.5 %), relative risk (RR) 2.9; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.0-4.1; p < 0.0001]. Three hundred and twenty-eight surgical procedures were performed. A similar number of major [28 (34.2 %) vs. 64 (26.1 %); p = 0.2] and emergency procedures [37 (45.1 %) vs. 95 (38.8 %); p = 0.34] were performed in each group. HIV-infected children had a higher rate of contamination at surgery [40 (48.7 %) vs. 49 (20 %); RR 2.43 (CI 1.7-3.4); p < 0.0001]. There were more complications in the HIV-infected group [34 (41.5 %) vs. 14 (5.7 %); RR 7.3 (CI 4.1-12.8); p < 0.0001]. The most common complications were surgical site complications 30 (55 %), followed by postoperative infections, 19 (34 %). Infections with drug-resistant organisms occurred more commonly in HIV-infected children [11/19 (58 %) vs. 2/13 (15 %); RR 3.8 (CI 1.3-14.2); p = 0.02]. The median length of hospital stay was longer in the HIV-infected group [4 (IQR 2-14) vs. 2 (IQR 1-4) days; p = 0.0001]. There was a higher mortality amongst the HIV-infected group [6 (7.3 %) vs. 0 (0 %); p < 0.0001]. CONCLUSION: HIV-infected children have a higher rate of postoperative complications and mortality compared with HIV-unexposed children.

Our surgical heritage: the role of the Department of Paediatric Surgery in the development of paediatric surgery in Cape Town, in Africa, and around the world.

The Department of Paediatric Surgery at the University of Cape Town has made a remarkable contribution to the academic body of knowledge of Paediatric Surgery both in South Africa and around the world. It has played a key role in the development of the specialty in South Africa and through the South African diaspora has trained many paediatric surgeons who have made their mark internationally. More recently it has become a major focus of teaching and training for African paediatric surgeons. This article traces this legacy through its origins in the early 1920s to its current prominent position in the world paediatric surgical community.