Minimally Invasive Surgery - The Answer to Today’s Problem in Children
Baby Uma, 5 month old was admitted to our hospital with fits following cough and X-ray chest revealed a very peculiar congenital condition where in most of the stomach was in her chest. As a result she had cough and breathlessness after every feed. The team of Pediatricians and Paediatric Surgeons at Sri Ramachandra Hospital (SRMCH) diagnosed the condition as Para esophageal Hernia - a peculiar condition caused by a defect in the development of the diaphragm between the chest and abdominal cavity. Further investigations in the child done at SRMCH confirmed the diagnosis along with partial volvulus of the stomach. Such a major abnormality is very rare in a 5 month old. The need for surgery was imminent in order to improve the breathing condition of the child and to prevent the stomach from going into complications. Normally this requires a long abdominal and thoracic incision, however the team of Paediatric surgeons at SRMCH planned a minimally invasive surgery (MIS) through laparoscopy to correct the defect and cure the child.
2 months back on 22/5/07 a 3½ hours procedure was successfully completed with key hole surgery and minimal pain with no big scar to the child. The post operative recovery was remarkable and the child discharged from hospital on the 3rd day. Patient came for follow up after 2 months and relived of the symptoms.
The expertise and facilities for such a MIS surgery and anesthesia are available at SRMCH. This procedure is another feather in the cap for the many key hole surgeries done in this institution. More so is the fact that this procedure for a Para esophageal hernia in a 5 month old is has not been reported earlier in children who have survived. Paediatric patients don’t like the scars when they are grown up and the answer lies in MIS.
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