Laparoscopic radical excision of urachal remnants with recurrent infection in infants.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of laparoscopic surgery in the management of urachal remnants with recurrent infection in infants.


METHODS
Eight infants (mean age 9.6 months, range 2-16 months) underwent laparoscopic excision of urachal remnants with recurrent infection between June 2006 and December 2008. During the same period, 10 infants (mean age 13.2, range 4-17 months) underwent open surgery for the same condition. The laparoscopic surgery was performed transperitoneally by using three ports. The urachal remnant was dissected from the umbilicus to the bladder dome and then removed completely.


RESULTS
Immediate complications did not develop in any patient. Blood loss, hospital stay, and operative time with laparoscopic surgery were less than those with open surgery. Recurrence did not develop in any patient who underwent laparoscopic surgery, while it did develop in one patient who underwent open surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
The laparoscopic approach appears to be a safe and effective alternative to open surgery in the management of urachal remnants with recurrent infection in infants.
Sun
Jie
J
Department of Urology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China. sunjiefan@hotmail.com
Zhu
Ying Jian
YJ
Shi
Cheng Ren
CR
Zhao
Hai Teng
HT
He
Rong
R
Liu
Guo Hua
GH
D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D014497:Urachus / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery*