Laparoscopic-assisted Management of Bleeding Meckel's Diverticulum in Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is a common congenital anomaly that can cause significant lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children.
• Painless lower gastrointestinal bleeding in pediatric patients presents a diagnostic challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinicodemographic profile of children experiencing bleeding Meckel's diverticulum.
• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopy in managing pediatric Meckel's diverticulum.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of pediatric patients with painless lower gastrointestinal bleeding who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy and subsequent laparoscopic-assisted resection of MD.
• Data collected from March 2019 to March 2023 at a tertiary care pediatric hospital in North India.

Main Results:

• Diagnostic laparoscopy identified MD in 15 out of 18 patients presenting with lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
• Patients with MD were predominantly male (2:1 ratio), with a mean age of 35 months, presenting with recurrent rectal bleeding and anemia.
• Laparoscopic-assisted resection was performed with a mean operative time of 72.6 minutes, demonstrating a safe and efficient procedure with early discharge.

Conclusions:

• Laparoscopy plays a crucial diagnostic and therapeutic role in managing obscure, painless lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children.
• Laparoscopic-assisted resection of Meckel's diverticulum is a safe, time-saving, and effective surgical approach with minimal complications.