title: Minimal access surgery in children - 5 years institutional experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimal access surgery (MAS) in children are common place and performed worldwide with gratifying results as the learning curve of the surgeon attains plateau. We share our experience of this technically evolving modality of surgery, performed at our setup over a period of 5 years. We also review and individually compare the data for commonly performed procedures with other available series. Author also briefly discuss potential advantages of MAS in certain debatable conditions performed quickly and with cosmesis as open procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed 677 MAS in children aged between 7 days and 12 years. Five hundred and sixty-eight of these were Laparoscopic procedures and 109 were Video assisted thoracoscopic surgeries (VATS). In all laparoscopic procedures, the primary port placement was by the Hasson's open technique. We have used 5, 3 and 2 mm instruments. Our study include 259 inguinal hernia, 161 Appendectomies, 95 VATS for empyema, 51 orchiopexies, 49 diagnostic laparoscopy, 29 cholecystectomies, 22 adhesionlysis and other uncommonly performed procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ultimate outcome of all the performed procedures showed gratifying trend, the data of which are discussed in detail in the article.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As we gained experience the operating time showed a decreasing trend, the complication rates and conversion rate also reduced. The advantages we came across were better postoperative appearances, less pain and early return to unrestricted activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, T.N.M. C and B.Y.L. Nair Hospital, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Oak
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Parelkar
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Viswanath
authors.forename: K Satish Kumar
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: V
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ravikiran
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manjunath
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed