Are Posterior Crural Stitches Necessary in Pediatric Laparoscopic Fundoplication?

Introduction: Minimal esophageal mobilization during laparoscopic fundoplication decreases the rate of wrap transmigration, and previous study has shown that placement of esophageal-crural sutures does not offer any advantages in preventing wrap migration. Our aim was to determine the need for posterior crural sutures during laparoscopic fundoplication. Methods: This was a retrospective review of patients >1 month old who underwent a primary laparoscopic fundoplication from 2010 to 2019. Demographic, surgical, and outcome data were recorded. Primary outcome was transmigration of the fundoplication wrap. Analysis was performed using STATA® (StataCorp, College Station, TX); P value <.05 was significant. Results: There were 181 patients included. The median age was 7.2 months (interquartile range [IQR] 3.7, 17.0) with 59% being male patients. Sixty-one (34%) patients received posterior crural stitches and 120 (66%) did not receive stitches according to staff preference. The stitch group had a median of 1 (IQR 1, 1) posterior crural stitches placed. There was no difference in the incidence of wrap migration, the number of patients requiring a workup for recurrent symptoms, or reoperation between the two groups (Table 1). A significantly higher percentage of patients in the no-stitch group underwent concurrent procedures; when controlled for this, there was no difference in the median operative time between the groups (P = .18). Conclusion: The placement of crural sutures, including the posterior crural suture, does not prevent wrap migration and may not be necessary for prevention of wrap herniation in pediatric fundoplication.