Teratoma Arising from Hepato Duodenal Ligament in the Newborn with Transection of Portal Vein, Hepatic Artery and Common Bile Duct: A Surgical Challenge.

A 7-day-old neonate presented with a large intra-abdominal mass adherent to the hilum of the liver encasing the portal triad. During excision, the portal vein, hepatic artery, and common bile duct were injured. The repair was done promptly and needed massive blood transfusion. Histopathology revealed immature teratoma Grade III. Survival in neonate following total transection of portal triad is rare and has not been reported.

Route to neo-inguinal canal: Our experience.

AIM: The objective of this study was to stress the importance and value of this route to neo-inguinal canal creation for undescended testis management laparoscopically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from the Department of Paediatric Surgery, Coimbatore Medical College, was taken. Retrospective study was undertaken for the period 2004 to 2008. Here the surgical technique and outcome of the treatment are recorded for children aged 1 year to 12 years. RESULTS: A total of 126 children underwent laparoscopic stage II surgery by this route (medial to the medial umbilical ligament). Right-sided undescended testis (UDT) was present in 76 (60%) patients. Left-sided UDT was present in 45 (35%) patients. Bilateral UDT was present in 5 (5%) patients. There were 90 (71%) patients aged less than 2 years and 36 (29%) patients aged more than 2 years. The eldest patient was 12 years of age. The overall hospital stay was 1 day. There were no complications seen in the follow-up. In all cases, the testis could not be brought down in a single stage. CONCLUSION: Creation of neo-inguinal canal medial to the medial umbilical ligament and just lateral to the bladder has the advantage of gaining more length on the vessels and vas to bring the testis to scrotum. The laparoscopic management of undescended testis in stage II by this innovative new route is simple, less complicated and well tolerated.

Liver abscesses with pyopericardium: Laparoscopic management in a preterm neonate.

We report a 28-day-old neonate presenting with signs of fever, abdominal distension, and refusal to feed. The baby was diagnosed to have multiple liver abscesses which ruptured and a tract lead to the pericardium resulting in a pyo-pericardium. Laparoscopic drainage of the abscess cavities and the pyo-pericardium was performed. An extensive search of the literature revealed that this case is the youngest one to have undergone such simultaneous laparoscopic drainage.

Laparoscopic assisted anorectal pull through: Reformed techniques.

AIM: To assess the modifications in the technique of laparoscopic assisted anorectal pull through (LAARP) practiced at our institute and analyze the post operative outcome and associated complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study from January 2001 to May 2009 analyzing LAARP for high anorectal malformations. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients - 34 males and six females, in the age group of two months to six years were studied. Staged procedure was done in 39 patients; one child with recto vestibular fistula underwent single stage procedure. All the patients withstood surgery well. One patient required conversion due to problems in gaining enough length for the distal rectum in a patient with rectovesical fistula so colostomy was closed and re-located at a proximal splenic flexure. The complications were mucosal prolapse (six cases), anal stenosis (three), adhesive obstruction (two), distal rectal necrosis (one), and urethral diverticulum (one). The patients were followed up with clinical evaluation and continence scoring. The progress has been satisfactory and weight-gain is adequate. CONCLUSIONS: THE ADVANTAGES OF THE REFORMED TECHNIQUES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Transcutaneous bladder stitch provides excellent visualization; traction over the fistula helps in dissection of the puborectalis, dividing the fistula without ligation is safe, railroading of Hegar's dilators over the suction canula creates adequate pull through channel, saves time and makes procedure simpler with reproducible comparable reports.

Minimally invasive pediatric surgery: Our experience.

AIM: Departmental survey of the pediatric laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a retrospective study from January 1999 to December 2007. The various types of surgeries, number of patients, complications and conversions of laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures were analyzed. RESULTS: The number of minimally invasive procedures that had been performed over the past 9 years is 734, out of which thoracoscopic procedures alone were 48. The majority of the surgeries were appendicectomy (31%), orchiopexy (19%) and diagnostic laparoscopy (16%). The other advanced procedures include laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty, surgery for Hirschprung's disease, thoracosocpic decortication, congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair, nephrectomy, fundoplication, etc. Our complications are postoperative fever, bleeding, bile leak following choledochal cyst excision and pneumothorax following bronchogenic cyst excision. A case of empyema thorax following thoracoscopic decortication succumbed due to disseminated tuberculosis. Our conversion rate was around 5% in the years 1999 to 2001, which has come down to 3% over the past few years. Conversions were for sliding hiatus hernia, nephrectomy, perforated adherent appendicitis, Meckel's diverticulum, thoracoscopic decortication and ileal perforation. CONCLUSION: The minimally invasive pediatric surgical technique is increasingly accepted world wide and the need for laparoscopic training has become essential in every teaching hospital. It has a lot of advantages, such as less pain, early return to school and scarlessness. Our conversion rate has come down from 5% to 3% with experience and now we do more advanced procedures with a lower complication rate.

Successful surgical management of a prenatally diagnosed intrapericardial teratoma.

Congenital intrapericardial teratoma is a rare, usually benign tumour frequently associated with massive pericardial effusion, cardiac compression, and severe cardiorespiratory distress shortly after birth. Surgical removal is not only curative but also potentially lifesaving because these lesions often become fatal if not promptly excised. We present a case of a newborn with a huge intrapericardial teratoma diagnosed in utero. After normal delivery the infant underwent surgical removal and has had clinical follow-up for more than 11 months.

Sonographic features of tubular duplication of the small bowel.

Tubular duplication of the small bowel is a very rare anomaly of the gastrointestinal system. The sonographic features of this condition are described in this report.