Neonatal Surgical Morbidity and Mortality at a Single Tertiary Center in a Low- and Middle-Income Country: A Retrospective Study of Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The most challenging and demanding issue in Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery is to deal with neonatal surgery which almost always involves emergency neonatal surgical conditions. Emergency neonatal surgery most often involves congenital anomalies. More than 90% of these anomalies occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Bangladesh. This considerable load of patients and inadequate resources in their management continue to be an unconquerable challenge for pediatric and neonatal surgeons in this region. We aim to review the challenges and constraints influencing the outcomes of emergency neonatal surgery which will guide to propose expectations from the global community. METHOD: We reviewed hospital records of neonates admitted to a tertiary care pediatric hospital between January 2016 and December 2020. Demographic and clinical data were extracted using a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 25. RESULTS: A total of 3,447 neonates were admitted during the five-year study period. More than 80% of the patients had at least one prenatal ultrasonography (USG) scan, but less than 10% had a prenatal diagnosis. More than 70% of the anomalies of the patient involved the gastrointestinal tract and abdominal wall. Overall mortality was an alarming 14.6%. Gastroschisis (>90%) and esophageal atresia (>85%) mainly contributed to this high mortality. The challenges detected in this review were the absence of a prenatal diagnosis, limited access to intensive care facilities, unavailability of parenteral nutrition, inadequate monitoring, and hospital-acquired sepsis. CONCLUSION: Emergency neonatal surgery contributes to a significant proportion of neonatal mortality. A holistic approach is essential to improve the situation, including the infrastructure and human resource development, identification of causes, and implementation of preventive measures to reduce the patient load. Global collaboration remains to be a vital factor to mitigate these multifactorial constraints.

Comparison of T Tube Ileostomy and Bishop Koop Ileostomy for the Management of Uncomplicated Meconium Ileus.

BACKGROUND: Meconium ileus is a common cause of neonatal intestinal obstruction. Various surgical procedures are in practice for uncomplicated meconium ileus. Bishop Koop ileostomy allows distal passage of gut content and uses the distal absorptive area. T tube ileostomy avoids the need for gut resection and formal closure of stoma. The aim of this prospective interventional study was to compare the outcome of T-tube ileostomy and Bishop Koop ileostomy for the treatment of uncomplicated meconium ileus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a prospective interventional study from January 2015 to December 2016. Patients were randomly assigned to the T-tube ileostomy group (group A) and Bishop Koop ileostomy group (group B). The patients were followed up for 6 weeks post-operatively. Surgical outcomes between the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The age range of the patients was 1 to 7 days; majority of the patients were males. Mean operation time of group A (60.76±5.81 minutes) and group B (87.05±6.49 minutes) showed significant difference (p =0.0001). After operation, mean time to start bowel movements in group A (4.90±1.41days) and group B (6.53±2.58 days) showed significant difference (p= 0.020). Times to establish oral feeding, irrigation tube removal and postoperative complications showed no significant difference. All patients that survived in the group B required formal stoma closure, while in the group A stomas closed spontaneously. One patient in the group A had intraperitoneal leakage leading to mortality after second operation. Four patients had leakage in the group B; 2 of them died. CONCLUSIONS: T-tube ileostomy was found as an effective and safe procedure for the management of uncomplicated meconium ileus.

Minimal Access Surgery in Neonates.

Despite the significant advancement of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in the adults and even in pediatric population, its role as the standard of care in the neonates has not yet been established among the pediatric and neonatal surgeons universally. Lots of controversies still arise though several advanced centers in the world having very experienced surgeons performing MIS for neonatal surgical conditions with promising outcomes. The unique physiological characteristics of a neonate make MIS quiet a challenging subject among these tiny babies. We have tried to look into the recent literature on the issues related to the use of MIS for the surgical management of neonates.

Ectopic Scrotum with VACTERL Association.

Scrotal ectopia is a rare condition. Associated anomalies are common. We describe a neonate with ectopic scrotum with VACTERL association. This combination of anomalies is very rare.

Gastric Perforation Following Dog Bite in a Child.

Gastric perforation following dog bite is exceedingly rare event in pediatric population that requires emergency surgery. We report a 26 month old male who presented 36 hours after a dog bite over abdomen with pneumoperitoneum. At laparotomy, two perforations were found on the anterior surface of the stomach. The perforations were repaired primarily. The child made an uneventful postoperative recovery.

Trans-Fistula Anorectoplasty (TFARP): Our Experience in the Management of Anorectovestibular Fistula in Neonates.

AIM: The purpose of the study was to observe the outcome of trans-fistula anorectoplasty (TFARP) in treating female neonates with anorectovestibular fistula (ARVF). METHODS: A prospective study was carried out on female neonates with vestibular fistula, admitted into the surgical department of a tertiary level children hospital during the period from January 2009 to June 2011. TFARP without a covering colostomy was performed for definitive correction in the neonatal period in all. Data regarding demographics, clinical presentation, associated anomalies, preoperative findings, preoperative preparations, operative technique, difficulties faced during surgery, duration of surgery, postoperative course including complications, hospital stay, bowel habits and continence was prospectively compiled and analyzed. Anorectal function was measured by the modified Wingspread scoring as, "excellent", "good", "fair" and "poor". RESULTS: Thirty-nine neonates with vestibular fistula underwent single stage TFARP. Mean operation time was 81 minutes and mean hospital stay was 6 days. Three (7.7%) patients suffered vaginal tear during separation from the rectal wall. Two patients (5.1%) developed wound infection at neoanal site that resulted in anal stenosis. Eight (20.51%) children in the series are more than 3 years of age and are continent; all have attained "excellent" fecal continence score. None had constipation or soiling. Other 31 (79.5%) children less than 3 years of age have satisfactory anocutaneous reflex and anal grip on per rectal digital examination, though occasional soiling was observed in 4 patients. CONCLUSION: Primary repair of ARVF in female neonates by TFARP without dividing the perineum is a feasible procedure with good cosmetic appearance and good anal continence. Separation of the rectum from the posterior wall of vagina is the most delicate step of the operation, takes place under direct vision. It is very important to keep the perineal body intact. With meticulous preoperative bowel preparation and post operative wound care and bowel management, single stage reconstruction is possible in neonates with satisfactory results.

Initial conservative management of exomphalos major with gentian violet.

AIM: The purpose of the study was to assess the results of topical use of gentian violet (GV), among the babies with exomphalos major in our institute. METHODS: The study was carried out retrospectively in a tertiary care hospital during the period from 2005 to 2010 inclusive. Exomphalos patients were classified as major if diameter was >5 cm and/or had liver in the sac as content. These patients were initially preferentially treated conservatively with topical 1% GV over the sac resultig a ventral hernia to be repaired later. RESULTS: A total of 84 exomphalos patients were admitted during the study period. Among them, 37 neonates (26 males and 11 females) had exomphalos major (EM). Ten of them were prenatally diagnosed. The mean gestational age at delivery was 35 weeks, and mean birth weight was 2.1 Kg. Mean age at presentation was 3.7 days. Thirty (81%) had other associated anomalies, mostly cardiac (66.6%) and pulmonary (46.6%). Ten patients with EM needed early operation because of ruptured sac, and other anomalies. There were 2 pre-operative and 8 postoperative deaths in this subgroup. Twenty seven patients were treated conservatively, among these 4 died of overwhelming sepsis. Remaining 23 patients left the hospital with a ventral hernia planned to be repaired at 1 year of age. Overall mortality in our series was 37.83%. CONCLUSION: Initial conservative treatment of the sac with GV results in satisfactory outcome for infants with EM who cannot undergo immediate closure.