Primary pull-through for Hirschsprung's disease.

The first report of a successful primary pull-through for Hirschsprung's disease using the endorectal pull-through (ERPT) was by So et al. (J. Pediatr. Surg. 15 (1980) 470; J. Pediatr. Surg. 33 (1998) 673). Subsequently, because of the simplified nature of this approach and the potential for cost savings, several groups have reported excellent results with this procedure. In addition to the ERPT, both the Duhamel and Swenson procedures have been performed in a one-stage fashion. More recently, primary laparoscopic approaches for each of these techniques have been utilized. The purpose of this review is to discuss the technique of primary pull-through, the peri-operative management and a summary of clinical results.