Laparoscopic Splenectomy in Children: Safety of Ligasure Usage

Laparoscopic splenectomy started to be more popular and nowadays it is the first choice for splenectomy in children. The main advantages of laparoscopic splenectomy over open approach are the shorter hospital stay, low complications and the cosmetic results despite the main concern of long operative time and the intra operative bleeding.

The aim of this study was to report our experience with laparoscopic splenectomy in children's with hematological diseases using ligasure regarding vascular control safety, efficacy and complications rate.

A retrospective study was carried out at Queen Rania Al-Abdullah Hospital for Children over the period from January 2017 to February 2019. Total number of 18 patients with hematological diseases underwent laparoscopic splenectomy using ligasure. Demographic data, complications and outcomes were collected to assess the advantages of ligasure usage for vascular control safety.

Out of 18 patients underwent laparoscopic splenectomy using ligasure (10 with spherocytosis, 4 with immune thrombocytopenic purpura [ITP], 3 with sickle cell anemia, 1 with hemangioma), from which number, 8 patients were males and 10 were females. Mean age was 6.7 years (ranges from 4.3 to13.7 years). Mean operative time was 107 minutes (ranges from 70-180 minutes). There was no conversion to open splenectomy and no mortality. Intra operative blood loss was insignificant.

Laparoscopic splenectomy using ligature is safe with excellent results in decreasing operative time, less complications and decrease incidence of intraoperative bleeding.