Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair; experience with 874 children.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) in children has become an alternative to the open procedure. It is gaining popularity with more and more studies supporting its feasibility, safety, and efficacy. This is a retrospective study to present our experience with children who underwent LIHR. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 1184 inguinal hernias were repaired laparoscopically in 874 children. They were 703 boys and 171 girls. Their mean age was 2.9 ± 2.1 years (range, 6-108 months). Six-hundred and twenty four opened internal inguinal rings (IIRs) were closed by transperitoneal purse string suture technique (TPP) and 560 opened IIRs were closed by percutaneous purse string suture with lateral umbilical ligament enforcement using Reverdin Needle (RN) technique. RESULTS: All cases were completed laparoscopically without conversion. There were no serious intraoperative complications. Mean operating time, in TPP technique, was 15 ± 2.3 minutes for unilateral and 20 ± 1.7 minutes for bilateral inguinal hernia, while the mean operating time, in RN technique, was 8.7 ± 1.18 minutes for unilateral and 12.35 ± 2 minutes for bilateral hernia repair. The contralateral patent processus vaginalis (PPV) was present in 176 (20% of cases). Follow-up to date is 10-140 months (mean 80 ± 2.1 months). In the early stage of this study, the recurrence rate was 1.13%. In the last 450 cases, no recurrence occurred. Hydroceles occurred in 0.58% and no testicular atrophy or iatrogenic ascent of the testis. CONCLUSIONS: LIHR can be a routine procedure with results comparable to those of open procedures. Both recurrence and operative time are nearly equal or even less than that for the open procedure after gaining a learning curve and modifications of the techniques.

Laparoscopic management of Meckel's diverticulum in children.

BACKGROUND: Rectal bleeding, recurrent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting in children could present a diagnostic as well as therapeutic challenge. Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is one of the causes. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility and outcome of laparoscopic management of MD. METHODS: The clinical data of 33 children admitted with rectal bleeding and/or recurrent abdominal pain with no identifiable cause were reviewed over a period of 8 years. There were 23 boys and 10 girls with a mean age of 5.12 +/- 2 years (range, 3-12 years). In 21 cases, MD was an incidental finding on laparoscopic appendectomy and symptomatic in 12 cases. Patients with rectal bleeding were subjected to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy; colonoscopy, and technetium Tc 99m-labeled pertechnetate scan (MS). All patients were subjected to routine laboratory investigations and diagnostic laparoscopy. RESULTS: Of the 1200 appendectomies, incidental MD was found in 21 (1.9%) patients and symptomatic in 12 cases. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy did not show a bleeding source in 7 patients presented with bleeding per rectum. Four cases showed a positive MS uptake. Of these, 3 were found on laparoscopy to have an MD. Three cases showed a negative scan. Of these, 2 had an MD. In 5 cases with recurrent abdominal pain nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distention, diagnostic laparoscopy revealed Meckel's diverticulitis in 3 cases and intussusception secondary to MD in 1 case. Laparoscopic Meckel's diverticulectomy and laparoscopic-assisted Meckel's diverticulectomy was done for 18 and 12 cases, respectively. Ectopic gastric mucosa was present in 13 cases (44%). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy is safe, cost-effective, and efficient for the diagnosis and definitive treatment of MD. Compared with conventional laparotomy, it has the advantage of precise operative diagnosis, less traumatic access, fewer intraoperative and postoperative complications, and shorter recovery period.