J Korean Assoc Pediatr Surg.  1999 Jun;5(1):53-57. 10.13029/jkaps.1999.5.1.53.

Pediatric Laparoscopic Splenectomy

• Kim WW
• Kim EK
• Song YT

• KMID: 2422190
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.13029/jkaps.1999.5.1.53

Abstract

Pediatric laparoscopic splenectomy has gained increasing acceptance in the surgical management of a variety of splenic disorders, in particular hematologic diseases. We report our experience with 16 patients who underwent this procedure because of hematologic disorders during the past 3 and a half years at the Department of Surgery, St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. The mean age was 10 years (Range 6-16 years) and the mean spleen weight was 210 gm (Range 85-500 gm). The indications for splenectomy were hereditary spherocytosis (6 cases), idiopatic thrombocytopenic purpura (8 cases), autoimmune hemolytic anemia (1 case), and idiopatic splenomegaly (1 case). All splenectomies were performed safely with mean estimate blood loss of 233 ml. Mean operative time and mean postoperative hospital stay was 157 min and 4.5 days. Respectively postoperative pain medication was needed in 3 case, just one injection in immediate postoperative period. Diet was started on posterative second day or third day. In conclusions, Laparoscopic splenectomy in pediatric patients surely is a safe procedure, offering better cosmesis, much less pain, and shorter hospital stay with lower post operative mobidity.

Keyword

Pediatric; Laparoscopic splenectomy

MeSH Terms

Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune
Diet
Hematologic Diseases
Humans
Length of Stay
Operative Time
Pain, Postoperative
Postoperative Period
Purpura, Thrombocytopenic
Spleen
Splenectomy*
Splenomegaly