Single Incision Pediatric Endoscopic Surgery: Advantages of a Relatively Large Incision.

OBJECTIVE

To describe Single Incision Pediatric Endoscopic Surgery (SIPES) performed on children with various diagnoses, emphasizing its advantages.

STUDY DESIGN

An observational case series.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, from January 2011 to November 2014.

METHODOLOGY

A review of patient charts was conducted in which SIPES was preferred as the surgical procedure. Patient demographics, operative details, operative time, clinical outcomes, postoperative pain and cosmesis were analyzed.

RESULTS

SIPES was performed on 45 patients (21 girls, 24 boys). Thirty-three appendectomies, 5 varicocelectomies, 3 oophorectomies, 2 ovarian and one paratubal cyst excision, and one fallopian tube excision were performed. All except one procedures were performed through our standard 2 cm umbilical vertical or smile incision. In 18 cases, abdominal irrigation/aspiration was easily performed through the existing larger incision, as is done with open surgical technique. None of the patients had early postoperative shoulder/back pain since complete disinflation of CO2could be ensured. All of the patients/parents were satisfied with the cosmesis.

CONCLUSION

SIPES has the advantages of limiting the surgical scar to within the umbilicus and providing easy disinflation of CO2, allowing intraabdominal cleaning and extraction of large volume tissue samples through a single large umbilical incision.