Minimal access surgery in children:a 5 year study.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Minimal Access Surgery (MAS) is increasingly utilized in pediatric care.
• Evaluating the safety and efficacy of MAS compared to traditional open surgery is crucial.
• Long-term data on MAS in pediatric populations is essential for clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the outcome, feasibility, and safety of MAS in pediatric patients.
• To compare MAS outcomes with age-matched controls undergoing open surgery.
• To evaluate patient and parental satisfaction with MAS.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 211 children undergoing MAS over 5 years.
• Objective comparison of MAS outcomes with concurrently treated open surgery controls.
• Assessment of mortality, morbidity, re-exploration, analgesic requirements, hospital stay, and cosmetic results.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in mortality, morbidity, re-exploration, or analgesic needs between MAS and open surgery.
• MAS demonstrated significantly shorter hospital stays for appendectomy, cholecystectomy, nephrectomy, splenectomy, and intra-abdominal testis surgery.
• MAS was not associated with shorter hospital stays for appendicular perforation or intestinal pathology.
• Parents overwhelmingly preferred the cosmetic outcomes of MAS.

Conclusions:

• MAS is a safe and feasible surgical option for children, with outcomes comparable to open surgery.
• MAS offers significant benefits in reduced hospital length of stay for several common pediatric procedures.
• Improved cosmetic results associated with MAS contribute to higher parental satisfaction.