European Journal of Pediatric Surgery最新文献

The posterior rectal advancement anoplasty (PRAA) is a novel approach for females with rectoperineal fistulas in which the distal fistula tract lies within the anterior limit of the anal sphincter complex. PRAA eliminates the risk of vaginal injury and perineal body dehiscence while allowing for an appropriately sized and centered anal opening. This study aims to examine the complications and outcomes following PRAA.A retrospective, single-institution study was performed of female patients with an anorectal malformation with a rectoperineal fistula between January 2020 and December 2023. PRAA was performed when the rectoperineal fistula was located within the anterior extent of the anal sphincteric ellipse. We assessed time to first feeding, length of stay, and early stooling patterns and complications.Twelve patients underwent PRAA at a median age of 171 days with a median follow-up of 5 months. None were previously diverted with an ostomy. There was no incidence of vaginal injury, wound dehiscence, rectal prolapse, or anal stricture. All were able to resume feeds immediately and were discharged home on postoperative day 1. On follow-up, all patients were stooling spontaneously, and nine (75%) were utilizing daily laxatives.The PRAA, specifically in female patients with rectoperineal fistula within the anterior limit of the sphincters, eliminates the risk of vaginal injury and perineal body dehiscence. This technique decreases the risk of rectal prolapse and anal stricture and allows patients to return to their regular diet and home quickly, after only 1 postoperative day. It can be done without the need for a colostomy. Longer-term data are needed to continue to explore functional outcomes.

To investigate the key points in performing thoracoscopic anatomic pulmonary lesion resection procedures, as well as analyze the characteristics of the learning curve associated with the surgery.We retrospectively collected clinical data and 1-year follow-up outcomes of children diagnosed with congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) who underwent thoracoscopic anatomic lesion resection in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2023. Perioperative and short-term follow-up results were analyzed and surgical experiences and insights were summarized. Furthermore, the cumulative sum (CUSUM) method was employed to plot the learning curve of a single surgeon performing thoracoscopic anatomic resection, and the impact of different phases on perioperative parameters and early follow-up outcomes was investigated.This study included 154 patients undergoing thoracoscopic anatomic lesion resection. Postoperative complications occurred in three patients (1.9%), and residual lesions were identified in four cases (2.6%). When a single surgeon's procedural volume exceeded 39 cases, marking the transition to the proficiency phase, significant reductions were observed in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative mechanical ventilation duration compared with the learning phase (all p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in postoperative drainage volume and chest tube duration.The key to thoracoscopic anatomic lesion resection lies in identifying the lesion boundaries and achieving precise dissection. Our study showed that this surgical approach is relatively safe and feasible for children with CPAM, with favorable perioperative and 1-year postoperative outcomes. Moreover, as surgeons progress to proficiency, perioperative outcomes improve and the incidence of residual lesions decreases. However, as a single-center study with a limited number of cases and due to a lack of long-term follow-up data, the safety and efficacy of this technique still require further validation through multi-center studies.

Treatment of pilonidal disease traditionally involves an operation under general anesthesia, which may have a period of postoperative disability and a significant recurrence rate. We report a novel treatment for pilonidal disease performed in-office using a pneumatic lidocaine injection device, requiring no pain medication or activity restrictions-supporting a non-operative standard of care.Patients with gluteal crease pits at our Pilonidal Care Clinic were offered pit excision as standard care. Prospective data on demographics, pain scores (0-10), and outcomes were collected in REDCap. Under sterile conditions, patients received 1% buffered lidocaine via pneumatic injection. Laser follicle ablation was followed by punch excision (1.5 or 2 mm) of full-thickness pit epithelium. Sinus tracts were probed but not excised. Patients were asked to wash the area twice daily, maintain normal activities, and return in 6 to 8 weeks. Patients requiring nidus incision and drainage (I&D) were excluded.About 130 patients underwent this technique between February and June 2024; 100 were included in the analysis (5 excluded for concurrent I&D, 25 lost to follow-up). Mean age was 18.1 years; 50% were male. At subsequent follow-up, 60% patients healed all pits, resolving their condition, with 64% (144/224) of all pits healed. Patients with three or more pits were more likely to need an additional pit excision. Mean procedure pain score was 1.6/10 (SD 1.21); no patient used pain medication or experienced disability. Ultimately, 88% of patients healed all of their pits.Pilonidal disease may be resolved non-operatively in a single outpatient clinic visit, without even a shot.

We present a retrospective analysis of our experience managing pediatric empyema, focusing on clinical, microbiological, radiological aspects, surgical and fibrinolytic outcomes over an 8-year period, encompassing the 2022-2023 United Kingdom invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) surge. This observational study aimed to test the hypothesis that the post-pandemic period has revealed a new pattern of microbes, disease patterns, and treatment effectiveness.Case notes of children (<16 years) with thoracic empyema who had an intercostal drain between 2014 and 2023 were reviewed for demographic, imaging, microbiological, and operative findings. Periods were categorized as pre-pandemic (2015-2020), pandemic (2020-2021), and post-pandemic (2022-2023).From 86 cases, median ages fell from 9.9 years (pre-pandemic), 6.2 years (pandemic), to 4.4 years (post-pandemic). Pleural culture detected organisms in 27% while 16S PCR increased the yield to 90.7%. Streptococcus pyogenes (43.4%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (30.2%) predominated. Viral coinfection was associated with necrosis (45% vs. 24% without coinfection). Intrapleural fibrinolysis effectiveness fell from 81% pre-pandemic to 60% post-pandemic, with a concomitant rise in need for further surgery from 19% to 48%. Alongside these changes, the length of stay increased from 8 to 11 days (pre- vs. post-pandemic). There were no empyema-related deaths at our center over this study period.Post-pandemic empyema was characterized by younger age, a higher proportion of S. pyogenes, and increased intrapleural fibrinolytics failure and surgery. These data support earlier surgical consultation for younger patients or those with viral coinfections, prospective evaluation of dual-agent fibrinolysis in children, and integration of 16S PCR into pleural workflows. Ongoing surveillance of empyema epidemiology is needed to optimize future management.

A microsurgical venous bypass between the internal spermatic vein (ISV) and inferior epigastric vein was proposed five decades ago for varicocele treatment. Limitations of this technique include a large incision, transverse fascia transection, delayed recovery, and mandatory venography to rule out external iliac vein compression (present in ∼10% of patients). To address these limitations, a modified microsurgical varicocelectomy with internal spermatic to superficial epigastric vein (SEV) bypass was developed and evaluated in this study.The ISV-SEV bypass was performed in all adolescents (≤18 years) undergoing microsurgical varicocelectomy between May 2021 and October 2023 for left testicular hypotrophy, pain, or oligospermia. The first 100 consecutive cases were analyzed. Outcomes included length of hospital stay, complications, recovery time, postoperative Doppler parameters (testicular volume, reflux, anastomosis patency), recurrence, and improvement in testicular volume and semen characteristics. Minimum follow-up was 12 months.Mean patient age was 15.5 ± 1.15 years. Main indications included hypotrophy (72%) and oligospermia (24%). Median operative time was 55 minutes (range 45-90). All patients were discharged within 24 hours. Median return to school and sports was 4.5 and 14 days, respectively. Testicular volume improved in 54/72 patients with hypotrophy. All oligospermic patients showed significant sperm count improvement (mean 15.2 to 88.2 million; p < 0.0001). Rates of atrophy, hydrocele, hematoma, and recurrence were 0%, 0%, 2%, and 1%, respectively. Residual Doppler reflux or persistent varices were noted in 11 patients, but without clinical relevance.Microsurgical varicocelectomy with ISV-SEV bypass appears to be a safe and feasible technique in adolescent patients, with encouraging short-term outcomes regarding testicular volume recovery and semen parameters. Low complication and recurrence rates are promising, but further studies are needed to assess the benefit over standard techniques.

Postoperative antibiotic treatment of varying length is routinely used in perforated appendicitis to reduce the risk of complications. In the pediatric population, outcomes of shortened antibiotic regimens have not been specifically reviewed.Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched (October 2023): P, patients: Children with perforated appendicitis; I, intervention and C, comparison: Antibiotic regimen below (I) and above (C) a defined number of days; O, outcomes, focus: Patient risks and benefits. For the main outcome (intra-abdominal abscess), non-inferiority was assessed.Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 215 children) and one non-randomized study (288 children) fulfilled the PICO criteria. Regarding intra-abdominal abscess, pooling data from two RCTs (<5 vs. 5 days of intravenous antibiotics; 16 (17%) vs. 15 [15%] events) resulted in a wide 95% confidence interval (risk difference: -8 to 12 percentage points) not meeting the predefined non-inferiority margin of 7.5. One RCT (2 vs. 5 days of intravenous antibiotics) provided data regarding readmissions (9 vs. 7 events) and complications to antibiotic treatment (8 vs. 9 events). Two RCTs (<5 vs. 5 days of intravenous antibiotics) reported significantly shorter length of stay in the intervention group.This systematic review shows neither non-inferiority nor an increased risk of intra-abdominal abscess with a shortened postoperative antibiotic regimen. There may be no difference regarding readmission rates and treatment-related complications. Shorter regimens probably offer the advantage of reduced hospital stay. Due to substantial uncertainties, further RCTs are needed to define the optimal duration of antibiotics in children.

Research indicates that the sexual support needs of patients with anorectal malformations (ARM) and Hirschsprung disease (HD) are often not addressed by patients, parents, and healthcare professionals (HPs) in their interactions. An international support website was developed to empower stakeholders, by addressing identified barriers. This study aimed to explore the empowerment potential of this disease-specific tool.Two online surveys were disseminated between May 1 and October 1, 2023; one for HPs and another for patients/parents. The surveys sought to assess and understand the website's expected empowerment effect. Empowerment was conceptualized using patient/professional empowerment models. Data were descriptively analyzed.A total of 12 patients (ARM, n = 11; HD, n = 1), 17 parents (ARM, n = 9; HD, n = 8), and 20 HPs responded to the survey. HPs largely expected the website to have a positive empowerment effect, by providing a sense of meaning, information, support, and opportunities to learn and grow. Less of an effect was expected for "freeing up resources." For patients and parents, an empowerment effect was also expected, by generating the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and self-awareness necessary to influence their own behavior and by providing a sense of meaning and coherence. Respondents experienced the website positively, yet one patient and one parent considered the website "fully complete." Inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility were highlighted as focus points.To increase the website's empowerment potential, attention should be paid to inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility, as well as its implementation within the (institutional) contexts where patients, parents, and HPs interact.

Inguinal hernias are common among preterm neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), affecting up to 30% of all preterms. The timing of surgical repair remains controversial due to concerns about respiratory immaturity and the risk of hernia incarceration with delayed intervention. Previous meta-analyses were limited by methodological weaknesses, including heterogeneous populations and lack of randomized data. We aimed to provide an updated meta-analysis comparing outcomes associated with early versus late hernia repair in premature neonates based on more recent and rigorous evidence.A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases to identify studies comparing inguinal hernia repair (IHR) outcomes in preterm neonates during their initial NICU hospitalization (early repair) or after discharge (late repair). The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.Of 1,860 studies screened, 8 met inclusion criteria (one randomized controlled trial and seven retrospective cohort studies), encompassing 1,624 patients. Among them, 881 neonates (54.2%) underwent early herniorrhaphy. Mean gestational age ranged from 26 to 29 weeks in the early repair group and from 26 to 33 weeks in the late repair group. There was no significant difference in the odds of incarceration between groups (odds ratios [OR]: 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-1.79; p = 0.49; I ² = 16%). Early repair was associated with a significantly higher risk of respiratory complications (OR: 3.73; 95% CI: 2.02-6.9; p < 0.0001; I ² = 0%) and hernia recurrence (OR: 3.59; 95% CI: 1.22-10.5; p = 0.02; I ² = 0%). No significant differences were observed in wound infections, testicular complications, readmissions, mortality, procedure duration, or reoperation rates.Early IHR during initial NICU hospitalization in preterm neonates significantly increases the risk of respiratory complications and hernia recurrence without reducing the risk of incarceration or other major surgical complications. These findings suggest that delaying herniorrhaphy until after NICU discharge, when clinically feasible, may optimize outcomes and minimize perioperative risks for this vulnerable population.

Conducting multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in pediatric surgery for rare congenital anomalies presents unique challenges, including low patient recruitment, complex regulatory landscapes, and variability in care standards. This paper reflects on the experiences and lessons learned from the MUC-FIRE and STEPS-EA trials, supported by the European Reference Network for Rare Inherited and Congenital Anomalies (ERNICA), to provide guidance for future studies.A retrospective review was conducted on the design and execution of these trials, focusing on team composition, endpoint selection, patient recruitment strategies, regulatory compliance, and adaptive methodologies. Insights were derived from study protocols, monitoring reports, and the authors' experiences.Key factors contributing to trial success included multidisciplinary collaboration, leveraging existing research networks, and defining clear, measurable endpoints. Challenges such as recruitment delays, regulatory hurdles, and variations in care were mitigated through flexible protocols, proactive amendments, and stakeholder engagement. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified these difficulties, necessitating innovative strategies and extended timelines.The MUC-FIRE and STEPS-EA trials underscore the critical importance of international collaboration, adaptive strategies, and patient-centered approaches in overcoming the complexities of multicenter RCTs. Lessons from these experiences can inform the design and implementation of future trials, ultimately enhancing evidence generation and improving outcomes for children with rare congenital anomalies.