Abstract
Purpose
: To report experience with minimally invasive surgery for Hirschsprung's disease (HD) in infants and children.
Patients and Methods
: A total of 50 procedures were performed in various pediatric centers. Both primary and assisted pull-throughs were carried out. The personal data and anatomy were typical for children with HD.
Results
: Operative time for the 44 primary pull-through procedures averaged 140 minutes. Two patients required open conversion for anatomic reasons. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were encountered. Prompt recovery and excellent early and intermediate-term results were noted. There seemed to be marked reductions in the incidence of postoperative enterocolitis and anastomotic strictures in these babies.
Conclusions
: Laparoscopic pull-through for HD is easy to learn and to perform. The patients recover faster and with fewer complications than after the classic open operations. Indeed, this laparoscopic procedure should become the new gold standard for the treatment of HD.
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