Endoscopic findings in children born with oesophageal atresia in an academic unit in South Africa.

Background: Oesophageal atresia (OA) is one of the most common congenital gastrointestinal (GI) abnormalities. Due to advances in multidisciplinary care, early prognosis has improved with emphasis shifting to the long-term impact of this disease. Literature suggests a higher incidence of Barrett's and eosinophilic oesophagitis in these children, with an increased risk of oesophageal carcinoma.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on presentation of surgical disease in paediatric patients at a tertiary centre in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: Children are less susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent severe disease, yet especially vulnerable to the indirect effects of the pandemic. A constrained healthcare service, combined with the societal and behavioural changes observed during the pandemic, is likely to have altered the presentation of paediatric surgical disease. The objective was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the volume of paediatric surgical admissions, the severity of disease and the type of surgical pathology treated at our centre.

Is there any benefit with pantoprazole treatment in infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis?

Context: Previous studies demonstrated faster correction of metabolic derangement associated with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis with pre-operative intravenous (IV) histamine-2 receptor antagonists.

Aims: We investigated if similar outcomes are achieved with IV pantoprazole, a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI), including the subgroup of delayed presenters in the South African setting.

Settings And Design: A 5-year retrospective record review (January 2014-December 2018) compared the rate of metabolic correction in patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis at two tertiary centres.

Laparoscopic Excision of Patent Processus Vaginalis for Pediatric Hydroceles.

Background The standard surgical practice for pediatric hydrocele is resection and ligation of the patent processus vaginalis (PPV). Non-ligation of PPV for pediatric hydrocele is another possibility that can be repaired laparoscopically. Material & methods A retrospective study was undertaken over 10 years (Jan 2011-Feb 2020), of a case series of boys with hydroceles that underwent laparoscopic PPV (Lap PPV) excision.