Five-years' experience with outpatient thyroglossal duct cyst surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Many pediatric surgeons feel uncomfortable doing Sistrunk procedure without drain placement and in an outpatient setting. This study aimed to review our pediatric surgery department's experience in managing thyroglossal duct cyst surgery and to prove feasibility and safety of Sistrunk procedure without drain placement in an outpatient setting. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent Sistrunk procedure, between January 2011 and December 2015, in our department. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients were included, with age ranging from 1 to 14 years (mean 6.3 years). Sixteen patients underwent day surgery, and 20 stayed overnight (with less than 24 h postoperative discharge). The main reason to stay overnight was distance (greater than 60 km or 1 h driving) between the hospital and patient's residence. All patients had histopathological confirmation of the diagnosis. None of the patients had a drain placed intraoperatively. There was only one readmission at 48 h postoperative; a patient who underwent day surgery came back with cervical edema, which resolved with non-operative treatment. Short-term complications included post-operative local wound infection (8,5%) and hematoma (2,9%), none of which required surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Sistrunk procedure without drain placement is safe and can be performed in an outpatient setting.

Upper pole nephrectomy: a simplified technique using a retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach.

Objective. To describe a simplified technique already used in our institution for several years in the open heminephrectomy for duplication anomalies, now performed through a retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach. Methods. The technique begins with upper pole parenchyma incision since the demarcation between the affected upper moiety and the healthy lower pole is easily established. The dissection proceeds until the urothelium of the collecting system is entered, which will guide further excision, minimizing damage of the surrounding structures. The vascular supply is then identified since the upper pole is attached to the remaining renal parenchyma only by these structures that can be safely divided. Dissection and division of the ectopic ureter is carried next. Results. The operative time was 188 minutes. The blood loss was not significant, and there were no other complications during the procedure. The patient was discharged home 48 hours after the procedure, without any early or late postoperative complications. Conclusion. We believe this simplified technique allows a safer excision of nonfunctioning upper pole renal tissue by avoiding the initial dissection of the renal hilum, which associated with the known advantages of a laparoscopic approach makes us consider it the procedure of choice for upper pole nephrectomy in children.