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Laparoscopic retrieval of unusual intra-abdominal foreign bodies in children
Yasir Ahmad Lone1, Ravi Prakash Kanojia1, Ram Samujh1
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Advanced Pediatric Center, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Insights
Foreign body (FB) ingestion in children often requires intervention. Laparoscopic retrieval of ingested foreign bodies like needles and buckles is a safe and effective alternative to laparotomy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
Background:
- Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a frequent occurrence in children.
- While many ingested FBs pass spontaneously, some pose significant risks due to their nature (e.g., button batteries, sharp objects) or location within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
- Intervention is necessary for dangerous or lodged FBs, with laparotomy being a traditional surgical approach.
Observation:
- This report details three pediatric cases involving ingested foreign bodies.
- Two cases involved needles, and one involved a belt buckle lodged within the GI tract.
- These foreign bodies necessitated active intervention beyond conservative management.
Findings:
- Laparoscopic techniques were successfully employed to retrieve all three foreign bodies.
- The use of laparoscopy avoided the need for open laparotomy in all cases.
- All patients experienced successful outcomes and full recovery following laparoscopic foreign body retrieval.
Implications:
- Laparoscopy should be considered the primary surgical approach for retrieving pediatric foreign bodies from the GI tract.
- Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery offers a viable and effective alternative to traditional laparotomy for complex FB ingestions.
- Successful laparoscopic retrieval can lead to reduced patient morbidity and faster recovery times.
Abstract:
Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common problem among the pediatric population. On numerous occasions, the FB is left to pass out spontaneously without expecting any harm. There are instances when the FB is either to dangerous to be left alone, that is a button battery or a sharp object. There may be FB, which is either stuck in GIT or have migrated. The situation in these instances demand active intervention. The traditional option has been laparotomy and retrieval. We present here three cases where two needles and a belt buckle were removed by laparoscopy thus avoiding a laparotomy. These cases prove that laparoscopy should be the first choice for such kind of retrieval. These cases had a successful outcome with full recovery.
