Published online Aug 7, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i29.8903
Peer-review started: December 16, 2014
First decision: January 22, 2015
Revised: March 13, 2015
Accepted: May 19, 2015
Article in press: May 19, 2015
Published online: August 7, 2015
Processing time: 237 Days and 22.7 Hours
AIM: To report the clinical outcomes and ergonomics analysis of three laparoscopic approaches in the management of Hirschsprung’s disease (HD).
METHODS: There were 90 pediatric patients (63 boys, 27 girls; mean age: 3.6 ± 2.7 mo; range: 1.0-90.2 mo) who underwent laparoscopic endorectal pull-through Soave procedures for short- and long-segment HD in our hospital. Three laparoscopic approaches were used: conventional laparoscopic pull-through (CLP) in 30 patients between 2009 and 2013, single-incision laparoscopic pull-through (SILP) in 28 patients between 2010 and 2013, and hybrid single-incision laparoscopic pull-through (H-SILP) in 32 patients between 2011 and 2013. We applied the hybrid version of the single-incision approach in 2011 to preserve the cosmetic advantage of SILP and the ergonomic advantage of CLP. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, cosmetic results, and ergonomics of these three approaches to have a better understanding of the selection of one approach over another.
RESULTS: The CLP, SILP, and H-SILP groups were similar in regard to age, sex, transition zone, blood loss, hospital stay, and intraoperative complications. Early and late postoperative results were not different, with equal daily defecation frequency and postoperative complications. No conversion to open technique was needed and none of the patients had recurrent constipation. With proper training, the ergonomics challenges were overcome and similar operative times were registered for the general operative time in the patients < 1 year of age and the short-segment HD patients. However, significantly shorter operative times were registered compared to SILP for patients > 1 year of age (CLP and H-SILP: 120 ± 15 min and 119 ± 12 min, respectively, vs 140 ± 7 min; P < 0.05) and for long-segment HD patients (152 ± 3.5 min and 154 ± 3.6 min, respectively, vs 176 ± 2.3 min; P < 0.05). The best cosmetic result was registered with the SILP (scarless), followed by the H-SILP (near scarless appearance) and the CLP (visible scars) procedures.
CONCLUSION: Based on the results, we believed that the laparoscopic approach should be selected according to the age, transition zone, and desired cosmetic result.
Core tip: This manuscript describes a comparison of the (1) hybrid single-incision laparoscopic endorectal pull-through, (2) conventional laparoscopic endorectal pull-through, and (3) single-incision laparoscopic endorectal pull-through in selected Hirschsprung’s disease patients. The cosmetic advantage was not the only concern, but also the age and transition zone-relating aspects of these three approaches. The clinical outcomes and ergonomics analysis are reported in order to better understand the choice of one approach over the other with regard to the patient’s age, transitional zone, and desired cosmetic result.