Umbilical center insertion method for initial trocar placement in pediatric laparoscopic surgery.

Background: For laparoscopic surgery in pediatric patients, the initial trocar insertion is usually made employing open laparotomy to avoid injury to the viscera. It is safe but somewhat time-consuming for establishing a pneumoperitoneum, and requires additional sutures for anchoring or preventing air leakage. We devised a new initial trocar insertion technique employing an umbilical center incision to shorten the surgical duration and improve the esthetic appearance.

Preliminary study on the effects of bar placement on the thorax after the nuss procedure for pectus excavatum using bone scintigraphy.

Aim: Bone scintigraphy was performed to elucidate the effects of the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum on the bony thorax.

Methods: Eight boys and 6 girls (5 - 24 years of age) underwent bone scintigraphy, using (99m)Tc-HMDP. Eleven patients were studied 5 to 21 days after the Nuss procedure; 6 were studied 20 to 24 months after the operation before bar removal.

Comparison of the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum by age and uncommon complications.

Background: We summarized our experience of the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum with comparison by age and uncommon complications.

Methods: Twenty-three patients underwent the Nuss procedure. Their age ranged from 3 to 19 years old.

Introduction of a benzyl group onto the 2'-OH of 6-chloropurine 3'-O-benzoylriboside.

A new method to introduce a benzyl group onto the 2'-OH of purine ribonucleoside is described. Thus, 6-chloropurine 3'-O-benzoylriboside and its 5'-O-trityl congener were condensed with benzyl alcohol using the Mitsunobu reaction to give the 2'-O-benzyl derivative. The yields were varied from 4.

Indications for surgical repair of funnel chest based on indices of chest wall deformity and psychological state.

Purpose: We examined the surgical indications for funnel chest, taking psychological factors into consideration.

Methods: We assessed 36 young people with funnel chest who were seen as outpatients, including 31 boys and 5 girls aged from 1 to 22 years old. Respondents were asked whether they suffered psychological distress, and if they wanted surgery.

Pre-operative ultrasonographic diagnosis of biliary atresia--with reference to the presence or absence of the extrahepatic bile duct.

Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of ultrasonographic (US) examination in the pre-operative diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA) with special reference to the presence or absence of extrahepatic bile duct. Thirty consecutive neonates and infants aged 8 to 169 days (mean: 62 days) suspected of having biliary atresia were examined pre-operatively in real time B-mode ultrasonography. We used a 5 or 7.

A new method for the synthesis of 2'-O-benzyladenosine using Mitsunobu reaction.

A new method to introduce a benzyl group onto the 2'-OH of purine ribonucleoside is described. Thus, 6-chloropurine 3'-O-benzoylriboside and its 5'-O-trityl congener were condensed with benzyl alcohol using the Mitsunobu reaction to give the 2'-O-benzyl derivative. The yields were varied from 4.

Indications for surgical treatment of funnel chest by chest radiograph.

Forty-seven children with funnel chest (FC) who underwent sternal elevation and 210 normal children were examined to determine the indications for surgical treatment using the vertebral index (VI) and frontosagittal index (FSI). In normal children VI gradually increased and FSI gradually decreased with age. Both indices changed significantly at 3 years of age.