Partial splenectomy in children: Long-term reoperative outcomes☆

Partial Splenic Embolization in Paediatric Sickle Cell Disease Patients with Hypersplenism

PURPOSE

To assess the safety and efficacy of partial splenic embolization (PSE) to reduce the need of transfusions and improve hematologic parameters in patients with hypersplenism and sickle cell disease (SCD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This prospective study includes 35 homozygous hemoglobin S patients with SCD and hypersplenism who underwent PSE from 2015 until 2021 in Kinshasa. Patients were evaluated, before and after PSE (1, 3 and 6 months), using clinical, laboratory and ultrasonographic methods. PSE was performed with the administration of gelatin sponge particles embolizing 60-70% of the splenic parenchyma.

RESULTS

The mean age was 10 (± 4) years and (21/35, 60%) were male. After PSE Leucocytes decreased at 3 months (16 692.94 vs 13 582.86, p = 0.02) and at six months Erythrocytes increased 2 004 000 vs. 2 804 142 (p < 0.001), Platelets increased (168 147 vs. 308 445, p < 0.001) and Hemoglobin increased (5.05 g/dL vs. 6.31 g/dL, p < 0.001) There was a significant dicrease in the need of transfusions from 6 (2-20) before PSE to 0.06 (0-1) after PSE (p < 0.001). The most frequent complication was splenic rupture (4/35, 11.4%), seen only and in all patients with hypoechogenic nodules at baseline.

CONCLUSION

PSE is a safe procedure in patients with SCD and hypersplenism, that do not have hypoechogenic nodules in the spleen. PSE improves the hematological parameters and reduces the frequency of blood transfusions.

Robot-Assisted Versus Laparoscopic Approach for Splenectomy in Children: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aim: To compare the outcomes of pediatric splenectomies for hematologic diseases performed by robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) and laparoscopic approach. Materials and Methods: Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases were systematically searched for publications in English language from January 2000 to March 2020. All the studies dealing with pediatric elective splenectomies performed by RALS were included. The primary outcomes were the rate of postoperative complications and conversion. The secondary outcomes were the length of hospital stay and the operative time. Results: The search yielded 969 articles. Ten articles were included in the systematic review. Eighty patients underwent RALS splenectomy. Thirteen postoperative complications (16%) were reported and RALS was converted to open surgery in five cases (6.3%). Five of the included articles, three retrospective studies and two case series, were considered relevant for the meta-analysis and dealt with 130 patients. Of them, 71 children (55%) underwent RALS. No difference in the rate of complications was found between the two approaches (P = .235). RALS presented a similar rate of conversion to open surgery (P = .301). The mean operative times and length of hospital stays for RALS, reported in three different studies, were 107.5, 159.6, 140.5 minutes and 4.2, 3.93, 2.1 days, respectively. Conclusion: Even if few studies were included in the review, this meta-analysis reported similar rates of complication and conversion for RALS when compared with laparoscopy. Further studies are required to prove that this innovative technique was as safe and feasible as the current gold standard technique.

Limits in Laparoscopic Partial Splenectomy in Children

The aim of this paper is to assess the effectiveness and perioperative complications of splenic surgeries in children. In 41 splenectomies, an anterior abdominal laparoscopic approach was used, with 35 including a partial laparoscopic splenectomy. Of these, three needed a conversion to open. Six patients had a total splenectomy, three of which were open. Patients ranged in age from 5 to 18 years. Splenectomy was performed for a variety of causes, including hereditary spherocytosis (n = 20), splenic cysts (n = 13), sickle cell disease (n = 3), primary malignancy (n = 1), sepsis (n = 1), embolism (n = 1), anemia (n = 1), and hypersplenism (n = 1). The average length of stay was 7.6 days, and the average operation time was 169.3 min. Pleural effusion in the left hemithorax was found in 31.6% of the patients, with 5.3% requiring a thorax drain. The majority of patients had the highest platelet count two weeks after surgery. There was no evidence of wound infection, pancreatic leak, colon perforation, or postoperative sepsis. The most encountered perioperative complication was bleeding with the need of transfusion (n = 6), and one patient needed a diaphragm repair. A partial splenectomy (PS) can be a difficult procedure with a steep learning curve. For most children who require a splenic operation, this should be the primary procedure of choice.

Minimally Invasive Partial Spleen Resection Preserving the Lower Pole in Children: A Technical Report on Feasibility and Safety

Background: Laparoscopic partial splenectomy is a surgical option for removing part of the spleen with a pathological mass in a way that ensures preservation of the spleen's physiological functions. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of this procedure, performed while preserving the blood supply from the left gastroepiploic artery, in children. Materials and Methods: Following institutional review board approval, this retrospective study was conducted on patients who, between January 2015 and December 2019, underwent laparoscopic partial splenectomy with preservation of blood supply from the left gastroepiploic vessels. In the article, we described patient indications for surgery, surgical technique, surgery time, complications, and follow-up outcomes. Results: Eleven patients (mean age: 12.3 ± 3.4 years) underwent laparoscopic partial splenectomy. Indications for surgery included nonparasitic cysts (n = 8), pseudocysts (n = 2), and hamartomas (n = 1). The mean benign mass diameter was 60 ± 22 mm. The mean operative time was 193.2 ± 55.1 minutes. The mean size of the retained lower pole was 31.1% ± 3.8%. There was no conversion to open splenectomy or any significant complication. The mean postoperative stay was 9 ± 0.7 days. No thrombosis of the splenic and portal veins was noted in the follow-up period, and no splenic remnant infarction occurred. Conclusions: Laparoscopic partial splenectomy with preservation of blood supply arising from the left gastroepiploic vessels seems to be safe in children. However, a larger study is needed to confirm our results.