title: Laparoscopic drainage of postappendectomy- retained fecalith and intra-abdominal abscess in the pediatric population.
abstract: Retained fecalith after an appendectomy is an uncommon complication frequently associated with intra-abdominal abscess. Treatment options include percutaneous, open, or laparoscopic drainage of the abscess and retrieval of the fecalith, as antibiotics and drainage alone are usually insufficient. Laparoscopy offers the advantages of enhanced visualization of the abdomen, improved cosmesis, and a quicker return to normal daily activities. The principles of laparoscopic treatment include the careful identification of all anatomic landmarks, as the abscesses are frequently adherent to intra-abdominal structures compromising the safety of the operation. In this paper, we present 2 cases of laparoscopic drainage of an intra-abdominal abscess with retrieval of a fecalith in pediatric patients 1 and 6 weeks after an initial appendectomy and a review the literature.
authors: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC 20007, USA. chrisabularrage@yahoo.com
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Abularrage
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Bloom
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Bruno
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Goldfarb
authors: Joseph J
authors: JJ
authors: Abularrage
authors: A Alfred
authors: AA
authors: Chahine
mesh_terms: D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D001062:Appendectomy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods*; D005244:Fecal Impaction / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications