Prognostic factors for persistent obstructive symptoms in patients with Hirschsprung disease following pull-through.

BACKGROUND: Although most patients with Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) improve after pull-through, some patients still have persistent obstructive symptoms. Most previous studies reported persistent obstructive symptoms after pull-through in HSCR patients from developed countries. Our study determined the prognostic factors of persistent obstructive symptoms in patients with HSCR following pull-through from a particular developing country. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records of patients with HSCR at our institution from January 2017 to January 2022. RESULTS: We ascertained 114 patients with HSCR: 79 males and 35 females. Most of them (90.4%) showed a short aganglionosis and underwent transanal endorectal pull-through (55.3%). Twenty-two percent of patients showed persistent obstructive symptoms following pull-through. Operative technique and age at definitive surgery were significantly associated with the persistent obstructive symptoms after pull-through (p = 0.011 and 0.019, respectively), while sex, aganglionic segment length, presence of global developmental delay, and Down syndrome were not (p = 0.873, 0.525, 0.647, and 0.301, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that age at pull-through was a significant independent factor for persistent obstructive symptoms after pull-through, with an odds ratio of 3.41 (95% CI = 1.18-9.91; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a moderate frequency of persistent obstructive symptoms after pull-through in our institution. In addition, patients who underwent pull-throughs at a younger age might have persistent obstructive symptoms following a definitive surgery. Our study provides new data on persistent obstructive symptoms after pull-through from a particular population that might be beneficial for pediatric surgeons' consideration before performing definitive surgery on patients with HSCR.

The COVID-19 pandemic impact on pediatric surgery residency programs.

BACKGROUND: The residency program as a part of the clinical services itself has been influenced by the COVID-19 outbreak. Several reports have been published regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the residency programs; however, all studies were performed in developed countries or did not comprehensively analyze what residents think about the COVID-19 impact on their residency program. We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pediatric surgery residency program in our institution as an important part of hospital medical services. METHODS: We developed and distributed a questionnaire to pediatric surgery residents in our institution who were registered from January 2015-July 2020. The questionnaire was consisting of 24 questions: a) the perspectives of residents about COVID-19 infection during their residency program; b) the learning process; c) academic evaluations; and d) residents' suggestions to improve the quality of their residency program during the outbreak. RESULTS: Most (82.6%) pediatric surgery residents agreed that elective surgeries should be postponed during the pandemic. Before the outbreak, almost all (82.6%) residents used textbooks and journals as their primary sources of learning, while during the outbreak, 69.5% of residents shifted to use online lectures either from the school or Association of Pediatric Surgeons. Interestingly, 91.3% of participants agreed that they had more time to complete their academic assignments during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic has had a significant impact on the development of pediatric surgery residency programs. Moreover, the responses to the questionnaire are affected by the seniority and sex of the residents. A comprehensive approach is needed to maintain the high standard of competence of pediatric surgery without compromising our safety from the COVID-19 infection risk.

Postoperative enterocolitis assessment using two different cut-off values in the HAEC score in Hirschsprung patients undergoing Duhamel and Soave pull-through.

BACKGROUND: Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC) is the most severe and potentially lethal complication of Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) which might occur following definitive surgery. Our objectives were: 1) to compare the incidence of HAEC after Duhamel and Soave procedures using different cut-off values of the HAEC scoring method; and 2) to associate them with the risk factors, including sex, aganglionosis type, mothers' age at childbirth, gestational age, and mothers' educational level. METHODS: Medical records of patients with HSCR who underwent Soave and Duhamel procedures in our institution, Indonesia (January 2012 - December 2016) were reviewed retrospectively. Two cut-off values of the HAEC scoring system (i.e., ≥10 and ≥ 4) were utilized. RESULTS: Eighty-three patients with HSCR were recruited in this study (Soave: 37 males and 7 females vs. Duhamel: 28 males and 11 females; p = 0.18). The incidence of HAEC after surgery was 14/83 (16.9%) and 38/83 (45.8%) for cut-off values of ≥10 and ≥ 4, respectively (p = 0.00012), and tended to have an association with sex (p = 0.09). Although it was not statistically significant (p = 0.07), the frequency of HAEC after Soave procedure tended to be higher in patients with their mother's age of ≤35 years at childbirth than those with their mother's age of > 35 years (OR = 7.9; 95% CI = 0.9-72.1). Multivariate analysis indicated none of the risk factors were associated with the frequency of HAEC after definitive surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The lower cut-off value of ≥4 might increase the possibility to diagnose HAEC, particularly the mild cases. The incidence of HAEC after definitive surgery was not associated with any risk factors in our cohort patients. Further multicenter studies with a larger sample size are necessary to confirm our findings.

Eventration of right diaphragm with an intrathoracic ectopic kidney: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital diaphragmatic eventration is characterized by the elevation of the diaphragm, causing a protrusion of the intraabdominal viscera into the affected hemithorax and resulting in respiratory distress. Diaphragmatic eventration with an intrathoracic ectopic kidney is a very rare disorder with the incidence of 0.25% of all ectopias. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 16-day-old male presented with chief complaint of respiratory distress. His plain chest X-ray showed intestinal gases in the right diaphragm and elevation of the right diaphragm. Intraoperative findings revealed elevation of the right diaphragmatic dome and visceral displacement, including the ileum, transverse colon, and right lobe of the liver. Subsequently, hemidiaphragm plication was conducted. Two weeks after surgery, the patient suffered from respiratory distress again. Computed tomography (CT) scanning revealed right diaphragmatic elevation and an ectopic kidney inside the right hemithorax. During the second operation, there were no longer elevation of the right diaphragmatic dome nor any other organ displacement. Moreover, we decided to let the intrathoracic kidney remain in place. The outcome was good during the postoperative period and six months after surgery. DISCUSSION: Eventration of diaphragm with an intrathoracic ectopic kidney should be considered as a differential diagnosis in neonate patients with respiratory distress accompanied by a thoracic mass. CONCLUSION: Congenital diaphragmatic eventration with an intrathoracic ectopic kidney is a very rare disorder, requiring a personalized surgical repair to achieve a good outcome. CT scanning may help confirm the diagnosis, particularly to define the dome elevation and the intrathoracic organ precisely.