Background: Robotic surgery enhances minimally invasive surgery through tremor filtration, motion
scaling, indexed movement, articulation, and improved ergonomics. We report 2 cases of computer-
assisted, robot-enhanced, laparoscopic repair of Morgagni hernia in a 23-month-old weighing
10.2 kg and a 5-year-old weighing 21.6 kg.
Methods: Four 5 mm trocars were used to gain access to the abdomen. In the first case, standard
laparoscopic instruments were used to dissect the liver from the rim of the defect and then reduce
the hernia. In the second, robotic instruments were used for this dissection. In both cases, the robot-
enhanced instruments were used to close the hernia defects with interrupted, nonabsorbable suture,
using intracorporeal knot tying.
Results: Both cases were completed laparoscopically without a patch. The robotic system took 9
minutes to set up and drape. The average operative time was 227 minutes. The older child tolerated
oral intake the day of surgery and went home the following day. The younger child tolerated
oral intake and went home on postoperative day 2.
Conclusion: Robot-assisted laparoscopic Morgagni hernia repair is feasible.
