Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025
Long-Term Catheterization of the Intestinal Lymph Trunk and Collection of Lymph in Neonatal Pigs
Published on: March 5, 2016
Long-term follow-up in surgical newborns: A single-institution experience
Hajime Takayasu1, Kouji Masumoto1, Takato Sasaki1
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, 1-1-1, Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan.
Insights
Over 30% of newborns undergoing surgery are lost to long-term follow-up care. Improved, standardized multidisciplinary programs are essential for better outcomes in these pediatric surgical patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Neonatal Care
- Long-term Health Outcomes
Background:
- Assessing long-term follow-up experiences in newborns who underwent surgery.
- Identifying challenges and improvements for childhood to adulthood care transitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the actual experiences of long-term follow-up in surgically treated newborns.
- To discuss strategies for enhancing care continuity from infancy through adulthood.
Main Methods:
- Included 306 surviving patients with congenital anomalies requiring newborn surgery (1994-2013).
- Excluded patients with severe chromosomal/cardiac anomalies, myelomeningocele, urogenital anomalies, Hirschsprung's disease, and hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.
- Categorized survivors into four follow-up groups: outpatient (UF), moved (MV), suspended (Sus), and lost to follow-up (LF).
Main Results:
- High incidence of active medical problems observed in survivors.
- Longer follow-up duration noted for esophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and high-type anorectal malformations.
- Patients followed by pediatric surgeons alone, without active medical problems, or without initial adverse events were at higher risk of being lost to follow-up.
Conclusions:
- More than 30% of surgical newborn cases were lost to follow-up (LF).
- Disease-specific, standardized multidisciplinary follow-up programs are crucial.
- Such programs can improve patient and parent satisfaction and compliance.
Background:
To assess the actual experiences of long-term follow-up and discuss ways to improve care during the period from childhood to adulthood in newborns who have undergone surgery.
Methods:
A total of 306 patients with congenital anomalies requiring newborn surgery who survived to discharge from 1994 to 2013 were eligible for inclusion. Survivors with severe chromosomal and cardiac anomalies were excluded. Patients with myelomenigocele, urogenital anomalies and miscellaneous diagnoses were also excluded. Patients with Hirschsprung's disease were excluded since many of them underwent surgery after the neonatal period. Patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis were also excluded since their duration of follow-up was too short for this study.
Results:
According to the follow-up status, survivors were categorized into 4 groups: under follow-up as an outpatient (UF, n = 67), moved (MV, n = 60), follow-up suspended by doctor (Sus, n = 87), and lost to follow-up (LF, n = 92). The incidence of active medical problems was high, and the duration of follow-up was significantly longer in the survivors with esophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia and high-type anorectal malformations than in those with other anomalies. Survivors followed by pediatric surgeons alone, free from active medical problems or free from adverse events during the initial hospitalization were at risk of being LF.
Conclusions:
More than 30% of the surgical newborn cases were LF. Disease-specific and standardized multidisciplinary follow-up programs that increase both children's and parents' satisfaction and compliance are needed. (230/250 words).
