One-trocar laparoscopy: a valid procedure to treat abdominal complications in children with peritoneal shunt for hydrocephalus.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this paper is to show the efficacy of laparoscopy using only one umbilical trocar to treat abdominal complications of hydrocephalic children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS).


METHODS
In a 15-year period, 14 laparoscopies were performed on as many children with VPS complications: in the last 4 patients only one trocar was used to solve the complications, and this subgroup will be the object of the present study. Concerning the indication for surgery, the patients presented one catheter lost in the abdominal cavity; one cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts; one bowel obstruction; and one malfunctioning peritoneal limbs of the catheter. We used the one-trocar laparoscopic approach in all the 4 patients, and the 10-mm trocar was always introduced through the umbilical orifice in open laparoscopy.


RESULTS
The laparoscopic technique was curative in all four cases and permitted the solution of the complication.


CONCLUSIONS
One-trocar laparoscopic surgery can be considered as the ideal procedure in case of abdominal complications of VPS in children with hydrocephalus.
Esposito
C
C
Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Chair of Pediatric Surgery, Magna Graecia University, Via Tommaso Campanella 115, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. ciroesp2@unicz.it
Colella
G
G
Settimi
A
A
Centonze
A
A
Signorelli
F
F
Ascione
G
G
Palmieri
A
A
Gangemi
M
M
D034841:Abdominal Cavity / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003560:Cysts / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000601:surgery; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D014472:Umbilicus / Q000601:surgery; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*