Minimal access surgery in newborns and small infants; five years experience

Can Positive-Pressure Ventilation be Administered with Laryngeal Mask to Pediatric Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Operation?

Objectives:

We aimed to investigate the effects of intubation and laryngeal mask airway (LMA) use by evaluating the results of blood gas tests, end-tidal CO₂ measurements, and airway changes during laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children.

Methods:

This study was designed to be a prospective randomized study enrolling 150 ASA-I patients, aged 1–8 years; who were scheduled for laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Group 1 (n=75) received general anesthesia with fentanyl, propofol, and rocuronium and they were orotracheally intubated. Group 2 (n=75) received general anesthesia with fentanyl and propofol and were inserted an LMA. Demographical data were recorded. Arterial blood gas test results at baseline, in the 10^th min after the insufflation, and in the 10^th min after the end of the insufflation were noted. The end-tidal CO₂, HR, SPO₂, inspiratory pressure, plateau pressure, tidal volume (TV), and respiratory frequencies were recorded. The duration of anesthesia, operation, and insufflations was noted. Emergent complications were recorded.

Results:

The duration of both anesthesia and recovery was longer in Group 1 compared to Group 2. Hemodynamical parameters, end-tidal CO₂ values, TVs, airway pressures, and respiratory frequencies were not statistically significantly different between the groups. There were no statistically meaningful differences in the levels of pH, PCO₂, and PO₂ between the groups.

Conclusion:

Compared to orotracheal intubation during laparoscopic inguinal surgery; LMA did not cause any statistically significant differences in the blood gas test results or airway pressures and recovery was faster with LMA. Therefore, LMA can be used in pediatric laparoscopic surgery as a safe tool for maintaining the airway.

Oncofertility care for newly diagnosed girls with cancer in a national pediatric oncology setting, the first full year experience from the Princess Máxima Center, the PEARL study

Background

Childhood cancer patients often remain uninformed regarding their potential risk of gonadal damage. In our hospital we introduced a five step standard oncofertility care plan for all newly diagnosed female patients aiming to identify, inform and triage 100% of patients and counsel 100% of patients at high risk (HR) of gonadal damage. This observational retrospective study (PEARL study) evaluated the use of this standard oncofertility care plan in the first full year in a national cohort.

Methods

The steps consist of 1)timely (preferably before start of gonadotoxic treatment) identification of all new patients, 2)triage of gonadal damage risk using a standardized gonadal damage risk stratification tool, 3)informing all patients and families, 4)counseling of a selected subset of girls, and 5) fertility preservation including ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) in HR patients using amended Edinburgh criteria. A survey of the medical records of all girls newly diagnosed with cancer the first year (1-1-2019 until 31-12-2019) was conducted.

Results

Of 261 girls, 228 (87.4%) were timely identified and triaged. Triage resulted in 151 (66%) low(LR), 32 (14%) intermediate(IR) and 45 (20%) high risk(HR) patients. Ninety-nine families were documented to be timely informed regarding gonadal damage risk. In total, 35 girls (5 LR, 5 IR, 25 HR) were counseled by an oncofertility expert. 16/25 HR patients underwent fertility preservation (1 ovariopexy + OTC, oocyte cryopreservation (1 with and 1 without OTC) and 13 OTC). Fertility preservation did not lead to complications or delay of cancer treatment in any patient.

Conclusion

We timely identified and triaged most girls (88%) with cancer with a high risk of gonadal damage to be counseled for fertility preservation. We aim to optimize the oncofertility care plan and the standardized gonadal damage risk stratification tool based on this experience and these may be of value to other pediatric oncology centers.

Experience of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Neonates with Congenital Malformations in a Tertiary Care Pediatric Hospital

Aim:

The aim of this study is to report the experience with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in neonates with congenital malformations in a tertiary care pediatric hospital.

Materials and Methods:

Design: descriptive study. All neonates undergoing MIS from 2013 to 2018 were included in the study. Perinatal data, characteristics of surgery, type and duration of analgesia, postoperative mechanical ventilation duration, postoperative hospitalization, and postoperative morbidity and mortality surgery-related rates were recorded.

Results:

Seventy-one neonates were included. Gestational age and weight at surgery ranged from 24 to 41 weeks and from 1350 g to 4830 g, respectively. Procedures performed were esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula repair, congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair, diaphragmatic plication, fundoplication/gastrostomy, intestinal atresia repair, and pancreatectomy. The median follow-up period was 14 months. Five neonates (7%) were converted to open, for surgical difficulties. Nine (12.6%) neonates had intraoperative complications, with decreased oxygen saturation as the most common complication. The median duration of analgesia and postoperative mechanical ventilation was 3 days in most procedures. The morbidity and mortality rates were 36.6% and 2.8%, respectively.

Conclusions:

In this first experience with MIS in neonates, the duration of analgesia and hospitalization was shorter for some procedures. However, intraoperative and postoperative complications were still high, which was possibly attributed to the learning curve. Thus, it is expected that the frequency of the complications presented in this study will be reduced in future.

Use of Nonabsorbable Spiral Tacks for Mesh Reinforcement in Thoracoscopic Repair of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Thoracoscopic prosthetic repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a well-established and safe technique in experienced hands but the patching procedure is technically demanding and time consuming. To address the challenges associated with this process (confined working space and restricted time), the aim of this article is to assess the potential improvements in feasibility, efficacy, and safety of patch fixation by using nonabsorbable helicoidal tacks in neonates and infants for the repair of large CDH by thoracoscopy. The new technique has all the advantages of minimal invasive surgery in very young children combined with the advantages of reduced operating time and increased simplicity, and may be a good option in cases of recurrence.

Progress in anesthesia and management of the newborn surgical patient

Ongoing advances in the perioperative management of the newborn have undoubtedly decreased the incidence of morbidity and mortality of this vulnerable patient group. The introduction of new surgical techniques and more comprehensive understanding of the effects of varied anesthetic drugs and techniques on the surgical newborn present many challenges for pediatric surgeons and anesthesiologists. Thorough preoperative evaluation and open communication between members of the health care team are important. A basic understanding of age-dependent variables and the interaction of anesthetic and surgical procedures is essential in minimizing perioperative morbidity and mortality.