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Published on: September 22, 2023
Robotic repair of congenital paraesophageal hiatal hernia
Daniel A DeUgarte1, Ronald B Hirschl, James D Geiger
1Division of Pediatric Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA. deugarte@post.harvard.edu
Insights
Congenital paraesophageal hiatal hernias are rare but can cause serious complications. This case highlights successful robotic repair in a child, demonstrating a minimally invasive approach for this condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric surgery
- Gastrointestinal surgery
- Minimally invasive surgery
Background:
- Congenital paraesophageal hiatal hernias are uncommon pediatric conditions.
- These hernias can lead to severe complications such as gastric incarceration and volvulus.
- Standard treatment involves surgical repair and fundoplication.
Observation:
- A 3-year-old child presented with abdominal pain.
- The child was diagnosed with a congenital paraesophageal hiatal hernia and partial gastric volvulus.
- A 5 mm robotic platform was employed for surgical intervention.
Findings:
- The robotic platform facilitated precise dissection of the hernia sac.
- Successful hiatal repair and fundoplication were achieved using the robotic system.
- This approach allowed for effective management of the pediatric hiatal hernia.
Implications:
- Robotic surgery offers a viable minimally invasive option for treating congenital paraesophageal hiatal hernias in children.
- This technique may reduce operative time and improve patient recovery.
- Further research into robotic applications for pediatric gastrointestinal conditions is warranted.
Abstract:
Congenital paraesophageal hiatal hernias are rare and can be associated with gastric incarceration, volvulus,mucosal ulceration, and anemia. Primary repair of the hernia and fundoplication are recommended. In this paper,we report a case of a 3-year-old child with abdominal pain who was noted to have a paraesophageal hiatal hernia with partial gastric volvulus. A 5 mm robot platform was utilized to facilitate hernia sac dissection,hiatal repair, and fundoplication.

