[Use of allogenous material in the management of spina bifida aperta]. / Pouzitie alogénneho materiálu pri riesení spina bifida aperta.

AIM: "Conditio sine qua non" in the management of open neural tube defects includes closure of all layers with as minimum as possible tension left within the suture region, in order to prevent early, as well as long-term postoperative complications. In extensive fascial defects, the authors used the Gore-Tex patch as an alternative to myofascial or fasciocutaneous flaps. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 2004 to January 2008, 23 patients suffering from open spina bifida underwent surgery in the Bratislava Pediatric Surgery Centre. In 17 subjects, the fascia was sutured following a myofascial release, in 2 subjects the suture was secured with tissue adhesive. In 4 subjects, the Gore-Tex patch was implanted to secure the "tension free" plasty; the Gore-Tex Dual Mesh was used in 2 subjects as well as the Gore-Tex Spinal. RESULTS: Two subjects, who had the Gore-Tex Dual Mesh implanted, developed sequestration of the implant during the late postopertive period. Upon reoperation, the authors removed the Gore-Tex Dual Mesh in the both subjects. However, they found a firm fibrous membrane, which was considered sufficient to protect the dural sac. On the contrary, the both subjects who had the Gore-Tex Spinal implanted, healed with no complications recorded. CONCLUSION: Based on the experience, the Gore-Tex Dual Mesh, although implanted lege artis, does not appear a suitable material for fascia replacements in open spina bifida plastic procedures. Further experience will give more evidence, whether Gore-Tex Spinal would be a suitable alternative, however, the courses in the 2 subjects have hitherto been encouraging.

[Surgical treatment of children with necrotizing enterocolitis]. / Chirurgická starostlivost' o deti s nekrotizujúcou enterokolitídou.

Necrotizing enterocolitis is an acute neonatal disease. It affects in particular premature neonates with a birth weight lower than 1500 g. Despite extensive research the etiology of the disease remains obscure. The majority of authors assume multifactorial causes. Research workers try to detect various laboratory and clinical factors which could serve as criteria for surgical intervention. The sensitivity and specificity of these tests and laboratory examinations detect the disease only in an advanced stage and in the stage of perforation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The main surgical approach to the treatment of this disease remains laparotomy and resection of the necrotic portion of the gut with enterostomy. In a limited number of children resection of a portion of the necrotic gut with primary anastomosis is possible. In some very serious conditions and in infants with a birth weight below 1000 g peritoneal drainage and subsequent "second look" surgery should be sufficient. It is a disease with calls for a maximum individual approach and there are no accurate defined instructions for surgical treatment. The surgeon's experience and the standard of preoperative and postoperative care are decisive.

[Diastematomyelia and the tethered spinal cord syndrome. Case report]. / Diastematomyélia a syndróm pripútanej miechy. Kazuistika.

The authors present a patient with diastematomyelia and associated congenital malformations of the spinal cord. They caused tethering of the spinal cord. Patient had cutaneous marks of malformation from birth. The congenital malformation was operated at the age 5 years. MRI and surgical findings confirm the existence of diastematomyelia together with thick tethered filum terminale and lipoma of filum terminale. On surgery the bony septum was removed, the filum terminale was resected and the lipoma was excised. Each of the anomalies caused the tethering of the spinal cord and restricted its physiological ascent. Only careful surgical revision with subsequent removal of all causes of the tethering of the spinal cord produced good result. Diastematomyelia is a congenital malformation with some morphological variations and coexistence of other malformations. The presented case is a typical example of malformations associated with diastematomyelia.

[Esophageal atresia: delayed surgical treatment of the long segment]. / Atresio oesophagi: odlozené chirurgické riesenie dlhého segmentu.

Atresia of the long segment of the oesophagus in children and its surgical treatment is frequently very complicated and is associated with a high rate of complications. The authors present a patient with a long segment of oesophageal atresia type Vogt IIIB. The distance between the oral and aboral stump was 4 cm. During the first session the authors made a thoracotomy, separated the aboral stump from the trachea and closed the opening in the trachea as well as the distal stump. Then they approximated both stumps without attempting an anastomosis and fixed them by stitches to the spine. They closed the chest and performed a gastrostomy. After eight weeks they repeated the thoracotomy and made an oesophago-oesophago end-to-end anastomosis. The patient was subjected after operation three times to balloon dilatation on account of a stricture at the site of anastomosis. He is now 18 months after operation and has no complaints and no stricture.

[Results of surgery in children with congenital megacolon]. / Výsledky operácií u detí s megacolon congenitum.

In 1974 to 1999 at the Department of Paediatric Surgery in Bratislava 142 patients aged 3 days to 14 years were treated on account of Hirschsprung's disease. Seventy-four patients suffered from the classical type of Hirschsprung's disease affecting the recto-sigmoid segment of the large bowel, in 43 the long segment of the large bowel was affected. In nineteen patients an ultrashort segment was afflicted and six patients suffered from total aganglionosis of the large bowel. In 131 patients the diagnosis was established by irrigographic examination and during operation it was confirmed by histological examination of the whole month of the large intestine. In 11 patients the diagnosis was established by peroperative collection of the whole month of the large bowel. In 43 patients the diagnosis was made during the neonatal period. All 142 patients were operated. Nineteen patients with an ultrashort segment were subjected to dorsal myectomy according to Lynn and in 121 patients a retrorectal pull-through according to Duhamel in Ikeda-Soper's modification was performed. In 99 patients before the final operation a colostomy was made, orally from an aganglionic portion of the large bowel. Twenty-two patients were treated in one session by means of a direct stapler without protective colostomy. Two patients died several days after establishment of the colostomy from anaerobic septic complications. After the final operation no death was recorded. Duhamel's operation in Ikeda-Sopor's modification is in the authors' opinion very effective in treatment of congenital megacolon, being associated with a minimum of complications and is the prerequisite for achieving excellent functional results.

[Traumatic injuries of the urethra in children]. / Traumatické poranenia uretry u detí.

Authors presented their experience in diagnosis and treatment of 5 cases of traumatic rupture of urethra. Clinical symptoms of the closed type of the urethra are frequently not clear. In 70% of patients, outer urethral orifice bleeding is usually omitted. When this injury could be suspected, urethral catheterization is not recommended because it might extend level of damage. Urethrography is recommended as it would offer sufficient information on the injury. Pulling the balloon catheter to approach proximal and distal part of the injured urethra will result in creating fibrous channel between the ruptured parts of urethra however, this fibrotic part tends to develop dilatation resistant stricture.

[Personal experience in the treatment of medial cervical cysts in children]. / Nase skúsenosti s liecbou mediálnych krcných cýst u detí.

Twenty-five patients with thyreoglossal cysts were treated during a 7 years long period. Most of the cysts (in 64 of patients) were typically located between the hyoid bone and the thyreoid gland. The complete Sistrunk's operation was performed in 40% of the patients and 48% patients underwent an extirpation of thyroglossal cyst with a resection of the hyoid bone body. Three of the patients (12%) suffered a relapse. In one of the patients, this was due to the lateral cyst swapping and in two patients an incomplete extirpation of the ductus thyreoglossus remnant happened. In another patient, an iatrogenic hypothyreossis occurred. To avoid relapse, authors recommend to resect at least 10 mm of the hyoid body and 5 mm of the ductus thyreoglossus remnant behind the hyoid bone.

[Atresia of the large intestine]. / Atrézie hrubého creva.

The authors describe two patients with congenital atresia of the large intestine. Both patients had colostomy when neonates. A double colostomy was performed. The microcolon was dilated across the distal colostomy by physiological saline and semolina pudding to achieve dilatation of the distal portion. Occlusion of the colostomy, tapering and end-to-end colo-colo anastomosis was performed in both children at the age of four months. The passage was restored in both patients on the third day after occlusion of the colostomy. One patient had also other congenital defects, i.e. equinovarus of both feet and a defect of the atrial septum. One patient is four, the other three years old. They are doing well and have no digestive trouble.

[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of tracheoesophageal fistulas without esophageal atresia]. / Diagnóza a chirurgické riesenie tracheoezofageálnej fistuly bez atrézie pazeráka.

Tracheooesophageal fistulae (TEF) without atresia of the oesophagus cause in children relapsing respiratory diseases. The authors present diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in seven children. The symptoms of aspiration with attacks of non-productive cough and suffocation when fed were recorded in all children since birth. In five the diagnosis was made late. In four children the diagnosis was established by oesophagoscopy, in two by cinematooesophageography and in one by Fabian's test (Koop's test). All seven children were operated by a transcervical approach. After surgery all children are in a good condition and have no respiratory complaints.

[An unusual cause of respiratory failure. Bronchobiliary fistula]. / Neobvyklá pricina respiracného zlyhávania. Bronchobiliárna fistula.

The authors describe the treatment of a patient with an inborn bronchobiliary fistula. The ex post finding that the fistula had two insertions in the bronchus called in the final stage for a combined thoraco-abdominal approach with resection of the right lower pulmonary lobe with ligature of the fistula beneath the diaphragm. Although inborn bronchobiliary fistulae are very rare, they must be considered in the differential diagnosis of causes of chronic respiratory distress syndrome in children. Early diagnosis and adequate surgical treatment make it possible to prevent serious chronic cardiorespiratory disease.