Laparoscopic examination of contralateral internal inguinal ring via the neck of hernia sac in children with unilateral inguinal hernia

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the technique of intra- operative laparoscopic examination of contralateral internal inguinal via the hernia sac in children with unilateral inguinal hernia. Seventeen children with unilateral inguinal hernia were subjected to trans-inguinal diagnostic laparoscopy of the contralateral internal inguinal rings. A patent contralateral processus vaginalis was identified in 3 [17.6%] cases. There was a significantly higher incidence in patients with left inguinal hernia. The mean time to do the procedure was 11.3 minutes

Bilateral buccinator mucomuscular flaps with double opposiong Z-plasty for repair of wide and/or complete cleft palate

Furlow procedure remains our procedure of choice for narrow and incomplete clefts. In wide clefts of the palate there is no enough tissue present to allow closure of the cleft without side-to-side tightness as to impede drastically palatal junction. In this study we have combined the Furlow technique with bilateral buccinator mucomuscular flaps. We repaired 12 wide and/or complete clefts by this technique. Only one postalveolar fistula was reported. Further follow-up is going to evaluate the long-term effects of this technique on speech and maxillary growth