Contemporary trends in the use of primary repair for gastroschisis in surgical infants.

BACKGROUND: Gastroschisis is a newborn anomaly requiring emergent surgical intervention. We review our experience with gastroschisis to examine trends in contemporary surgical management. METHODS: Infants who underwent initial surgical management of gastroschisis from 1996 to 2014 at a pediatric hospital were reviewed. Closure techniques included primary fascial repair using suture or sutureless umbilical closure, and staged repair using sutured or spring-loaded silo (SLS). Data were separated into 3 clinical eras: pre-SLS (1996 to 2004), SLS (2005 to 2008), and umbilical closure (2009 to 2014). RESULTS: In the pre-SLS era, 60% (34/57) of infants with gastroschisis underwent primary repair. With the advent of SLS, there was a decrease in primary repair (15%, 10/68, P < .0001). Following introduction of sutureless umbilical closure, 61% (47/77) of infants have undergone primary repair. On multivariate regression, primary repair was associated with shorter intensive care unit stays (P < .001) and time to initiate enteral nutrition (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Following introduction of a less invasive technique for gastroschisis repair, most infants with gastroschisis were able to be repaired primarily. Primary repair should be considered in all babies with gastroschisis and favorable anatomy.

Thyroid surgery in children.

Although surgical conditions of the thyroid gland are uncommon in children, the increased incidence of thyroid cancer, combined with the fact that children's hospitals are increasingly treating older adolescents, means that it is important that all pediatric surgeons have a knowledge of these conditions. Abnormalities of the thyroid can be associated with abnormalities of thyroid function (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism) and/or can be associated with symmetrical or asymmetrical enlargement of the gland.

Role of bottle feeding in the etiology of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

IMPORTANCE Bottle feeding has been implicated in the etiology of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS). Further data are needed to define the nature of this relationship and the clinical variables that influence it. OBJECTIVE To determine if bottle feeding after birth is associated with the development of HPS in infants. We hypothesized that bottle feeding is associated with an increased risk of HPS and that this risk is modified by other risk factors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Population-based case-control study of births from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2009, using Washington State birth certificates linked to hospital discharge data. Cases included all singleton infants born within the study period and subsequently admitted with both a diagnostic code for HPS and a procedure code for pyloromyotomy (n = 714). Controls were randomly chosen among singleton infants who did not develop HPS and were frequency matched to cases by birth year. EXPOSURE Feeding status (breast vs bottle) was coded on the birth certificate as the type of feeding the infant was receiving at birth discharge. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE Diagnosis of HPS. RESULTS Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis incidence decreased over time, from 14 per 10,000 births in 2003 to 9 per 10,000 in 2009. Simultaneously, breastfeeding prevalence increased from 80% in 2003 to 94% in 2009. Compared with controls, cases were more likely to be bottle feeding after birth (19.5% vs 9.1%). After adjustment, bottle feeding was associated with an increased risk of HPS (odds ratio [OR], 2.31; 95% CI, 1.81-2.95). This association did not differ according to sex or maternal smoking status but was significantly modified by maternal age (<20 years OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.51-1.88; ≥35 years OR, 6.07; 95% CI, 2.81-13.10) and parity (nulliparous OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.07-2.38; multiparous OR, 3.42; 95% CI, 2.23-5.24). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Bottle feeding is associated with an increased risk of HPS, and this effect seems to be most important in older and multiparous women. These data suggest that bottle feeding may play a role in HPS etiology, and further investigations may help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the observed effect modification by age and parity.

Congenital abdominal wall defects and reconstruction in pediatric surgery: gastroschisis and omphalocele.

The embryology, epidemiology, associated anomalies, prenatal course and the neonatal and surgical care of newborns with gastroschisis and omphalocele are reviewed. For gastroschisis temporary intestinal coverage is often done before a more definitive operative closure that may be immediate or delayed. Outcomes in gastroschisis are determined by associated bowel injury. For omphalocele small defects are closed primarily while large defects are treated topically to allow initial skin coverage before a later definitive closure. Outcomes for omphalocele are determined mainly by the presence of associated anomalies.

Time course of C-reactive protein and inflammatory mediators after neonatal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the perioperative course of C-reactive protein (CRP) and inflammatory mediators in neonates ≤44 weeks' corrected gestational age. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study of CRP and inflammatory mediators interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α in 55 neonates undergoing thoracic or abdominal surgery. RESULTS: In the absence of infection, CRP increased after surgery, peaking on post-operative day 2. The perioperative patterns of CRP differed by diagnosis and inflammatory state. Surgery alone did not cause an increase in CRP because in 13 of 55 infants (24%), CRP remained <1.0 mg/dL at all time points. For thoracic procedures, patent ductus arteriosus ligation showed the least post-operative increase in CRP, and patients undergoing repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia or tracheoesophageal fistula had a greater response. Abdominal procedures with low CRP response included repair of imperforate anus and pyloric stenosis, while gastroschisis repair and bowel reanastomosis after necrotizing enterocolitis were accompanied by a robust CRP response. IL-6 concentrations peaked on post-operative day 1 and correlated with the post-operative day 2 CRP peak (r=0.398, P=.004). The additional inflammatory mediators measured were not informative. CONCLUSIONS: The range and time course of perioperative CRP differ by diagnosis. Serial measurements may be more informative than CRP magnitude.

Complications as a result of the Heimlich maneuver.

The Heimlich maneuver is a well-described emergency procedure for management of foreign body airway obstructions. Although rare, complications of the Heimlich maneuver do exist. The purpose of this report is to review the known complications of this procedure. All reported complications published in English on Medline and PubMed were reviewed. Additionally, we present a rare case of acute pancreatitis with associated pseudocyst formation after the administration of the Heimlich maneuver on a healthy 3-year-old boy. Although life saving, the Heimlich maneuver may be associated with significant complications; thus, symptomatic patients after this maneuver should be thoroughly evaluated with appropriate laboratory and radiographic studies.

Initial nonoperative management and delayed closure for treatment of giant omphaloceles.

PURPOSE: Traditional treatment of giant omphaloceles with silo closure has been associated with respiratory insufficiency, hemodynamic compromise, dehiscence, and inability to close the abdomen with subsequent death. To minimize such complications, initial nonoperative management with delayed closure of the defect has been used. METHODS: Between January 1981 and December 2002, 111 patients with omphaloceles were treated. Twenty-two patients with giant omphaloceles (19 containing liver) underwent initial nonoperative management consisting of silver sulfadiazine dressing changes. After pulmonary and other comorbidities stabilized, the contents were gradually reduced with a loose elastic bandage, and delayed closure was planned at 6 to 12 months. The medical records of these 22 patients were retrospectively reviewed to determine the efficacy and safety of this technique in the setting of severe associated anomalies. Those 15 patients (n = 15) from the latter 10 years were further reviewed to determine additional end points (length of hospital stay, length of intensive care unit stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, time to feed, time to closure, and type of closure). RESULTS: Of the 15 patients treated during the latter 10 years, mean gestational age and birth weight were 38 +/- 1.4 weeks and 3.1 +/- 0.57 kg, respectively. Median length of stay after birth was 20 days (range, 5-239 days). Median time to full diet was 8 days (range, 4-80 days). Four patients were discharged on oral feedings only, 7 with combination oral/gavage, and 4 with tube feedings. Pulmonary hypoplasia or pulmonary hypertension was present in 11 (50%) of 22 patients. There were 11 patients with major cardiac anomalies, 14 with a patent ductus arteriosus, and 8 with a patent foramen ovale. Three early complications (2 ruptured sacs and 1 bleeding sac) and 1 late complication (gastric necrosis) occurred in the initial nonoperative period. In addition, 4 patients were treated for line sepsis, 1 patient for acute renal insufficiency, and 1 for aspiration pneumonia. Three patients required tracheostomy and were discharged with home ventilators. There were no complications associated with the use of silver sulfadiazine. Of the 22 patients, 16 have undergone delayed repair, 2 did not require repair, 1 is awaiting repair, 2 died before closure, and 1 was lost to follow-up. Delayed closure was achieved at a median age of 14 months (range, 2-28 months) and mean weight of 8.8 +/- 3.3 kg. Four patients required implantation of mesh for definitive closure. Median postoperative length of stay was 4 days (range, 2-21 days). Postoperative complications included prolonged ileus, recurrent ventral hernia, and prolonged intubation. Overall mortality rate was 9.1%. One death occurred after diaphragmatic hernia repair, and 1 death was from overwhelming sepsis in the patient with a late gastric perforation. CONCLUSION: The use of silver sulfadiazine dressing changes for initial nonoperative management of giant omphaloceles is a safe and effective bridge to delayed closure. We recommend this method as initial nonoperative management given the high incidence of associated cardiopulmonary malformations because it may facilitate enteral feeding, minimize respiratory compromise, and reduce morbidity and mortality.

The anomalous splenic vein: a case report and review of the literature.

The spleen arises from a mesenchymal bulge at the 6-mm stage of development. There are a wide variety of splenic anomalies and variations that range from benign to clinically significant, and this article presents a brief review of splenic embryology and a case report of an anomalous splenic vein that precluded the formation of a Nissen fundoplication.

Pyloromyotomy: a comparison of laparoscopic, circumumbilical, and right upper quadrant operative techniques.

BACKGROUND: Ramstedt pyloromyotomy through a right upper quadrant (RUQ) transverse incision has been the traditional treatment for hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Recently, laparoscopic (LAP) and circumumbilical (UMB) approaches have been introduced as alternative methods to improve cosmesis, but concerns about greater operative times, costs, and complications remain. This study compares the three operative techniques and examines their advantages and complication rates. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing pyloromyotomy at a children's hospital between January 1997 and June 2003. RESULTS: Two hundred ninety patients underwent pyloromyotomy by LAP (n = 51), RUQ (n = 190), or UMB (n = 49). Complication rate, time to ad libitum feeding, incidence of emesis, and postoperative length of stay did not differ considerably among groups. Two LAP patients were converted to RUQ. Mucosal perforation occurred in three patients each in the RUQ and UMB groups, but none in the LAP group. Operative times were considerably less for LAP (25 +/- 9 minutes) than for RUQ (32 +/- 9 minutes) and UMB (42 +/- 12 minutes) (p < 0.05, ANOVA, Bonferroni). Charges related to operations and anesthesia were considerably greater for UMB (operation: US 1,574 dollars +/- US 433 dollars; anesthesia: US 731 dollars +/- US 190 dollars) compared with the other two groups (p < 0.05, ANOVA, Bonferroni), but did not differ between LAP (operation: US 1,299 dollars +/- US 311 dollars; anesthesia: US 586 dollars +/- US 137 dollars) and RUQ (operation: US 1,237 dollars +/- US 411 dollars; anesthesia: US 578 dollars +/- US 167 dollars). Data are presented as mean +/- SD. CONCLUSIONS: Advantages of LAP include a shorter mean operative time without higher complications or costs. UMB is associated with the greatest mean operative time and costs. Laparoscopic pyloromyotomy is a safe and effective approach to the treatment of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

Fraternal twins with Morgagni hernias.

Fraternal twins with identical left-sided foramen of Morgagni hernias are described. The occurrence of this rare type of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in twins suggests that genetic factors play a role in the formation of this lesion.