Pediatric Surgery remains the only true General Surgery.

This article states that Pediatric Surgery remains probably the only remaining General Surgery because it is not about organs and systems but rather the whole Surgery from fetal life until completion of growth and maturation. Pediatric surgeons are currently involved in prenatal treatments for fetal diseases, they take in charge the surgery of congenital malformations, acquired neonatal diseases, common conditions like hernias, undescended testes and appendicitis, but also of the more complex gastrointestinal, broncho-pulmonary or genitourinary conditions, tumors, trauma and solid organ transplantation. For this, like other surgical specialists, they use open, endoscopic and minimally invasive techniques.

Current Management of Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformations: A "European Pediatric Surgeons' Association" Survey.

Aim:  To define current management of congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM).

Methods:  A total of 181 European Pediatric Surgeons' Association members (91% senior) from 48 countries completed an online questionnaire.

Main Results:  Prenatal: 93% respondents work in centers with prenatal diagnosis facilities, and 27% in centers offering in utero surgery.

European Paediatric Surgeons' Association Survey on the Management of Hirschsprung Disease.

Unlabelled:  This study aims to define patterns of Hirschsprung disease (HD) management.  An online questionnaire was sent to all European Paediatric Surgeons' Association (EUPSA) members.  A total of 294 members (61 countries) answered (response rate: 61%).

Difficulties, guidelines and review of developing an acute rejection model after rat intestinal transplantation.

Experimental small bowel transplantation (SBT) in rats has been proven to be a useful tool for the study of ischemia-reperfusion and immunological aspects related to solid organ transplantation. However, the model is not completely refined, specialized literature is scarce and complex technical details are typically omitted or confusing. Most studies related to acute rejection (AR) use the orthotopic standard, with small sample sizes due to its high mortality, whereas those studying chronic rejection (CR) use the heterotopic standard, which allows longer term survival but does not exactly reflect the human clinical scenario.

Congenital Portosystemic Shunts: Clinic Heterogeneity Requires an Individual Management of the Patient.

Introduction: Congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS) is a rare entity without insufficiency in treatment issues. The aim of this article is to show our experience in the heterogeneity of this condition.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study of 25 CPSS in the period 1995 to 2014 was conducted.

International Survey on the Management of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.

Aim: This study aims to define patterns in the management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

Methods: A total of 180 delegates (77% senior surgeons) from 44 (26 European) countries completed a survey at the 2014 European Pediatric Surgeons' Association meeting.

Results: Overall, 34% of the surgeons work in centers that treat < 5 cases of CDH/y, 38% work in centers that treat 5 to 10 cases/y, and 28% work in centers that treat > 10 cases/y.

Portal Cavernoma in the Era of Mesoportal Shunt (Rex) and Liver Transplant in Children.

Objective: The mesoportal shunt (MPS) and liver transplantation (LT) have changed the scenario of extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO) since the MPS, the only "curative" technique, can now be offered in asymptomatic patients and also thrombotic complications of LT have increased the incidence of EHPVO.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study of patients undergoing surgery for EHPVO was conducted between 1990 and 2015. An analysis was done for the shunt permeability and clinical evolution over time.

Lung maturity in esophageal atresia: Experimental and clinical study.

Introduction: Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF) survivors suffer respiratory morbidity of unclear pathogenesis. Defective lung morphogenesis has been described in the rat model. This study examined fetal lung growth and maturity in rats and patients with EA-TEF.

Defective upper gastrointestinal function after repair of combined esophageal and duodenal atresia.

Background: Both esophageal atresia (EA) and duodenal atresia (DA) involve deficient anti-reflux barrier, poor esophageal function and eventually, duodenogastric reflux. This study aims at examining the upper gastrointestinal functional status in a cohort of patients with both EA and DA.

Methods: A retrospective survey of patients treated for EA and DA between 1965 and 2012 was conducted.

Cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy for bleeding duodenal arteriovenous malformation.

Introduction Treatment of recurrent severe gastrointestinal bleeding due to arteriovenous malformations may require complex resections. In some particular locations, extensive surgery is the only way out, as shown in this report. Case Report A 2.

Chylothorax and chylous ascites: management and pitfalls.

Leakage of lymph from the lymphatic ducts causes chylothorax (CT) or chylous ascitis (CA). This may happen for unknown reasons during fetal life or after birth and may also be caused by trauma after thoracic surgery or by other conditions. Fetal CT and CA may be lethal particularly in cases with fetal hydrops that sometimes benefit of intra-uterine instrumentation.

Tertiary surgery for complicated repair of esophageal atresia.

Aim: The ideal repair of esophageal atresia (EA) is primary anastomosis with closure of the fistula if present. Long gap or local circumstances prompt other procedures that occasionally lead to disastrous complications. The aim of this study was to analyze the management of these complications in a tertiary referral center.

Severe tracheobronchial injuries: our experience.

Introduction: Severe tracheobronchial injuries (TBI) in children are usually traumatic or iatrogenic. However, they can also be caused by mediastinal infections that lead to critical situations. We herein report our experience in the treatment of these lesions.

Abnormal Sonic hedgehog signaling in the lung of rats with esophageal atresia induced by adriamycin.

Background: Abnormal lung development was recently described in the rat model of esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF). Since in this condition the ventral-to-dorsal switch of Shh expression in the foregut is disturbed, the present study tested the hypothesis that this abnormal expression at the emergence of the tracheobronchial bud might be translated into the developing lung.

Methods: Pregnant rats received either 1.

The multifactorial origin of respiratory morbidity in patients surviving neonatal repair of esophageal atresia.

Esophageal atresia with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (EA ± TEF) occurs in 1 out of every 3000 births. Current survival approaches 95%, and research is therefore focused on morbidity and health-related quality of life issues. Up to 50% of neonates with EA ± TEF have one or more additional malformations including those of the respiratory tract that occur in a relatively high proportion of them and particularly of those with vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheoesophageal, renal, and limb association.

Early endoscopic dilation and mitomycin application in the treatment of acquired tracheal stenosis.

Introduction: Acquired airway stenosis is a common complication in children after periods of tracheal intubation. We reviewed our experience in the endoscopic treatment of these lesions.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who presented acquired tracheal-subglottic stenosis (SGS) treated at our center from 2005 to 2012.

Maternal hyperthyroidism increases the prevalence of foregut atresias in fetal rats exposed to adriamycin.

Purpose: Gastrointestinal malformations such as esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) and duodenal atresia (DA) have been reported in infants born to hyperthyroid mothers or with congenital hypothyroidism. The present study aimed to test whether maternal thyroid status during embryonic foregut division has any influence on the prevalence of EA/TEF and DA in an accepted rat model of these malformations.

Methods: Pregnant rats received either vehicle or 1.

Ganglioneuroma: to operate or not to operate.

Introduction: Ganglioneuroma (GN) is a benign, differentiated variety of neurogenic tumor. It is often asymptomatic and may be diagnosed by serendipity. Surgical removal is the treatment of choice.

Failed Nissen fundoplication in children: causes and management.

Introduction: Nissen fundoplication (NF) is the gold standard procedure for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in children. However, it fails in a significant proportion of patients. The purpose of this study was to identify preoperative predictors of failure and to examine the results of reoperations.

Management of chest trauma in children.

Chest trauma in children is caused by high-energy blows, due in general to traffic accidents, that involve several other body regions. They occur mainly in the first decade of life and can be penetrating but are more often non-penetrating. Rib fractures and lung contusions, sometimes associated with pneumothorax or haemothorax, are the more usual injuries, but tracheobronchial rupture, cardiac, oesophageal or diaphragmatic injuries may also occur.

Osteolysis and lymphatic anomalies: a review of 54 consecutive cases.

Background: Progressive osteolysis caused by lympathic malformations is a rare condition that should be known by specialists involved in the study of lymphatic disorders because they are necessarily involved in the treatment. The purpose of the present study is to report on a large series of patients to illustrate the multiple clinical pictures and the wide range of therapeutic measures necessary for arresting bone destruction and lymphatic leak.

Methods And Results: Inclusion criteria were osteolysis associated with lymphatic malformation that required treatment.

Abnormal control of lung branching in experimental esophageal atresia.

Purpose: Esophageal atresia and tracheo-esophageal fistula (EA-TEF) result from abnormal division of the foregut into esophagus and trachea thus, it may influence airway branching and lung development. The present study examined lung morphogenesis in fetuses with EA-TEF focusing in the expression of FGF10 and its receptor FGFR2 IIIb.

Methods: Pregnant rats received either 1.