Laparoscopy in Pediatric Abdominal Trauma: A 13-Year Experience

Introduction Abdominal injuries are common, costly, deadly, and a source of considerable uncertainty in pediatric trauma. In some circumstances, laparoscopy offers a diagnostic and therapeutic alternative with less morbidity than standard exploration, and more certainty than most imaging. In this study, we review our experience with laparoscopic exploration for trauma. We hypothesized that laparoscopy could be employed effectively in stable blunt or penetrating trauma patients in whom diagnostic uncertainty was unresolved by imaging. Patients and Methods A retrospective review of the trauma database identified all children admitted to our Level I pediatric trauma center between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012, requiring surgical abdominal exploration. The utilization of laparoscopy and laparotomy was charted over the 13-year period. Negative laparoscopies and laparotomies and nontherapeutic laparoscopies and laparotomies were examined to investigate clinical scenarios in which laparotomy might have been avoided. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, simple linear regression analysis, and Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05). Results Over the 13-year study period, there were 16,321 trauma admissions. Of these, 119 patients (0.7%) required surgical abdominal exploration: 81 patients underwent laparotomy and 38 patients underwent laparoscopy. In 13 patients (34.2%), laparoscopic exploration ruled out injuries. In nine patients (23.7%), laparoscopy identified an injury for which no surgical intervention was necessary. In nine patients (23.7%), an injury was repaired laparoscopically. In seven cases (18.4%), the identified injury required conversion to laparotomy. There were no missed injuries. In the laparotomy group, a less invasive approach could have yielded the same information in 8.7% of patients. Laparoscopy was more likely to be used after a qualitative change in institutional minimally invasive surgical capability. Conclusion Laparoscopy reliably resolves diagnostic uncertainty in selected cases of pediatric abdominal blunt and penetrating trauma. In a hemodynamically stable patient with a concerning exam and inconclusive imaging, laparoscopy provides sensitive diagnostic capability and opportunity for definitive repair with diminished surgical morbidity.