[Video-laparoscopic surgeries in Meckel diverticulum in children].

From 1992 to 2001 laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment of various pathologic changes of Meckel diverticulum were carried out in 58 children aged from 3 weeks to 14 years. Bleeding from the diverticulum was in 33 patients, diverticulitis--in 21, intestinal obstruction--in 4 patients. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed carefully with trochars of small diameters (3-5 mm). Conversion to open operation was necessary in 2 patients due to inflammation in the diverticulum and adjacent parts of the intestine. Circulatory resection of the intestine with the diverticulum in the limits of healthy tissues was performed. All 33 patients with intestinal bleeding were examined with 99mTc before surgery. Only 15 (45.4%) patients demonstrated pathologic accumulation of radionuclide in the zone of the diverticulum. Laparoscopic resection of the diverticulum was performed in 56 patients. Three methods of endoscopic resection were used: with suture device Endo-Gia-30 (31 patients), with application of Roeder's loop on the base of the diverticulum when it was 1-1.5 cm wide maximum (23), with suturing of intestine with two-layer intracorporel endoscopic suture (2). All the started laparoscopic operations were finished successfully. There were no conversions to open surgery. Mean time of surgery was 45 min. There were no intraoperative complications. In postoperative period one patient showed acute adhesive intestinal obstruction which was treated with laparoscopy. Mean hospital stay was 6.1 bed-days. There were no lethal outcomes. Cosmetic effect was excellent in all the cases.