Does Mechanical Bowel Preparation Reduce the Risk of Developing Infectious Complications in Pediatric Colorectal Surgery? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate whether the application of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) before colorectal surgery reduces the risk of developing infectious complications in children.

Study Design: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify all articles comparing pediatric patients receiving MBP with pediatric patients not receiving MBP before colorectal surgery. Results are presented with weighted risk differences based on the number of events and sample size per study.

The 2018 ISDE achalasia guidelines.

Achalasia is a relatively rare primary motor esophageal disorder, characterized by absence of relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter and of peristalsis along the esophageal body. As a result, patients typically present with dysphagia, regurgitation and occasionally chest pain, pulmonary complication and malnutrition. New diagnostic methodologies and therapeutic techniques have been recently added to the armamentarium for treating achalasia.

Thoracoscopic posterior tracheopexy during primary esophageal atresia repair: a new approach to prevent tracheomalacia complications.

Background: Esophageal atresia (EA) is usually accompanied by some form of tracheomalacia (TM). During the early phases in life, excessive dynamic collapse of the trachea can cause a wide spectrum of symptoms ranging from mild complaints to apparent life-threatening events (ALTE's) or brief resolved unexplained events (BRUE's). Therapeutic strategies for severe TM include aortopexy to lift the anterior weakened cartilaginous rings or posterior tracheopexy of the floppy membranous tracheal intrusion.

The Effect of Gastrostomy Placement on Gastric Function in Children: a Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: A gastrostomy placement is frequently performed in pediatric patients who require long-term enteral tube feeding. Unfortunately, postoperative complications such as leakage, feeding intolerance, and gastroesophageal reflux frequently occur. These complications may be due to postoperative gastric dysmotility.

Laparoscopic antireflux surgery increases health-related quality of life in children with GERD.

Introduction: Improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is increasingly recognized as an essential part of patient care outcome. Little is known about the effect of laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) on the HRQoL in the pediatric patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of LARS on HRQoL in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and to identify predictors that influence HRQoL outcome after LARS.

Esophageal mucosal integrity improves after laparoscopic antireflux surgery in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background: Esophageal intraluminal baseline impedance reflects the conductivity of the esophageal mucosa and may be an instrument for in vivo evaluation of mucosal integrity in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) is a well-established treatment option for children with proton pump inhibitory (PPI) therapy resistant GERD. The effect of LARS in children on baseline impedance has not been studied in detail.

Effects and efficacy of laparoscopic fundoplication in children with GERD: a prospective, multicenter study.

Introduction: Laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) in children primarily aims to decrease reflux events and reduce reflux symptoms in children with therapy-resistant gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The aim was to objectively assess the effect and efficacy of LARS in pediatric GERD patients and to identify parameters associated with failure of LARS.

Methods: Twenty-five children with GERD [12 males, median age 6 (2-18) years] were included prospectively.

Laparoscopic versus percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement in children: Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and laparoscopic-assisted gastrostomy (LAG) are widely used in the paediatric population. The aim of this study was to determine which one of the two procedures is the most effective and safe method.

Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement.

Validation of a Novel 3-Dimensional Sonographic Method for Assessing Gastric Accommodation in Healthy Adults.

Objectives: A novel automated 3-dimensional (3D) sonographic method has been developed for measuring gastric volumes. This study aimed to validate and assess the reliability of this novel 3D sonographic method compared to the reference standard in 3D gastric sonography: freehand magneto-based 3D sonography.

Methods: A prospective study with 8 balloons (in vitro) and 16 stomachs of healthy volunteers (in vivo) was performed.

Impact of laparoscopic antireflux surgery on belching in pediatric GERD patients.

Background: Laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) is a well-established treatment option for children with proton pomp inhibitor (PPI)-resistant gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Besides preventing reflux of gastric fluid and solid content, LARS may also impair the ability of the stomach to vent intragastric air (i.e.

Evaluation of Gastric Volumes: Comparison of 3-D Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

To investigate gastric accommodation, accurate measurements of gastric volumes are necessary. An excellent technique to measure gastric volumes is dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Unfortunately, dynamic MRI is expensive and not always available.

Effect of Vagus Nerve Integrity on Short and Long-Term Efficacy of Antireflux Surgery.

Objectives: Vagus nerve injury is a feared complication of antireflux surgery (ARS) that may negatively affect reflux control. The aim of the present prospective study was to evaluate short-term and long-term impact of vagus nerve injury, evaluated by pancreatic polypeptide response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia (PP-IH), on the outcome of ARS.

Methods: In the period from 1990 until 2000, 125 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) underwent ARS at a single center.

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Neonatal Surgery for Major Noncardiac Anomalies.

Context: Increasing concerns have been raised about the incidence of neurodevelopmental delay in children with noncardiac congenital anomalies (NCCA) requiring neonatal surgery.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the incidence and potential risk factors for developmental delay after neonatal surgery for major NCCA.

Data Sources: A systematic search in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library was performed through March 2015.

Efficacy and adverse events of laparoscopic gastrostomy placement in children: results of a large cohort study.

Introduction: A gastrostomy placement is frequently performed in pediatric patients who require long-term enteral tube feeding. However, data on efficacy, perioperative complications and postoperative gastroesophageal reflux (GER) after laparoscopic gastrostomy (LAG) placement is limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate long-term efficacy and adverse events after LAG in a large cohort and determine whether routine preoperative 24-h pH monitoring should be used to predict postoperative GER.

EAES recommendations for the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most frequent benign disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Management of GERD has always been controversial since modern medical therapy is very effective, but laparoscopic fundoplication is one of the few procedures that were quickly adapted to the minimal access technique. The purpose of this project was to analyze the current knowledge on GERD in regard to its pathophysiology, diagnostic assessment, medical therapy, and surgical therapy, and special circumstances such as GERD in children, Barrett's esophagus, and enteroesophageal and duodenogastroesophageal reflux.

Complete versus partial fundoplication in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease: results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Complete fundoplication (Nissen) has long been accepted as the gold standard surgical procedure in children with therapy-resistant gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however, increasingly more evidence has become available for partial fundoplication as an alternative. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing complete versus partial fundoplication in children with therapy-resistant GERD. PubMed (1960 to 2011), EMBASE (from 1980 to 2011), and the Cochrane Library (issue 3, 2011) were systematically searched according to the PRISMA statement.

Laparoscopic Thal fundoplication in children: a prospective 10- to 15-year follow-up study.

Objective: To study long-term (10-15 years) efficacy of antireflux surgery (ARS) in a prospectively followed cohort of pediatric patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, using 24-hour pH monitoring and reflux-specific questionnaires.

Background: Studies on short-term outcome of ARS in pediatric patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease have shown good to excellent results; however, long-term follow-up studies are scarce, retrospective, and have not used objective measurements.

Methods: Between 1993 and 1998, a cohort of 57 pediatric patients (ages 1 month to 18 years; 46% with neurological impairment) underwent laparoscopic anterior partial fundoplication (Thal).

The effects and efficacy of antireflux surgery in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease: a systematic review.

Background: Antireflux surgery (ARS) for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most frequently performed major operations in children. Many studies have described the results of ARS in children, however, with a wide difference in outcome. This study aims to systematically review the efficacy of pediatric ARS and its effects on gastroesophageal function, as measured by gastroesophageal function tests.

Barrett's esophagus in children: does it need more attention?

Background: Few studies have reported on Barrett's esophagus (BE) in children. Moreover, information on the age at diagnosis and the duration between reflux-symptoms and diagnosis is lacking.

Methods: A review of the literature was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane database.

Hirschsprung's disease in children with Down syndrome: a comparative study.

Background And Aim: There is controversy in the literature regarding the outcome after surgical treatment of Hirschsprung's disease in children with Down syndrome (DS). The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of our series of DS children with Hirschsprung's disease to our series of children without Down syndrome (NDS) with Hirschsprung's disease. The impact of laparoscopy within the DS group was analyzed.

Neurenteric cyst--a case report of this rare disorder.

Neurenteric cysts are rare congenital lesions that are believed to be the result of the split notochord syndrome. We report the clinical case of a 5-year-old boy presenting with vague gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue, who had undergone resection of a small intestine duplication cyst as a newborn. Computed tomography revealed a mediastinal neurenteric cyst with partial destruction of several thoracic vertebrae.

[Ancillary diagnostic imaging is undesirable if there is evidence of appendicitis].

CT and ultrasound have been advocated to improve the diagnostic accuracy and management of appendicitis. However, these were single-centre studies, performed by specialised radiologists and with a low level of evidence. Most of the literature shows no increase in diagnostic accuracy or decrease of negative appendectomies if radiographic imaging techniques are applied.