Laparoscopic Treatment of Symptomatic Urachal Remnants in Children

Transumbilical Reduced-port Laparoscopic Urachal Resection for Pediatric and Adolescent Patients

BACKGROUND

Port placement in laparoscopic urachal resection has not yet been standardized. We herein report an approach for transumbilical reduced-port laparoscopic urachal resection for pediatric and adolescent patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of pediatric and adolescent patients for urachal remnant treated with reduced-port laparoscopic urachal resection from 2016 to 2020 in our department. Regarding our surgical procedure, a skin incision was made around the umbilicus, and the urachus was dissected partially under direct vision. Two transumbilical 5 mm ports and a 3.5 mm port in the right lateral abdomen were placed. In the laparoscopic view, the urachus was dissected from the abdominal wall and resected at the bladder dome. The defect of the peritoneum was closed by suturing.

RESULTS

Sixteen patients underwent the procedure. The median patient age was 12.5 years old. Surgery was performed by trainee surgeons in all patients without intraoperative complications or conversion to open surgery. The median postoperative hospital stay was 2 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Our transumbilical reduced-port laparoscopic urachal resection technique has advantages in terms of safety, operability, and cosmetic appearance.

Laparoscopic surgery of urachal remnants in children: 3-center experience and comparison to an open approach

Background

Since the first description by Trondsen in 1993, laparoscopy has become the preferred method of surgery of urachal remnants in children. Some authors call it the “gold standard.” Nonetheless, the comparison with open surgery in the literature is limited to several tens of patients. In this paper, we aim to summarize our experience reporting data of a large group of patients.

Results

We conducted a retrospective analysis of anonymized data from patients who underwent surgical interventions at three clinical centers. A total of 78 boys and 33 girls (M:F 2.36:1) were included in our study. Eighty-seven of them underwent mini-invasive surgery (group 1); 24 were operated in a conventional manner (group 2). The predominant form of the urachal anomaly found was the cyst (58.5%), while an umbilical sinus was present in 47 patients (42.3%), a bladder diverticulum in 7 (6.3%), and a patent urachus in 3 cases (2.7%). The average duration of surgery was 60.7 min (20–192 min) in group 1 and 42.7 min (20–90 min) in group 2; excluding the cases with simultaneous interventions, the average duration was found to be 54.5 and 39.7 min, respectively. Twenty-nine simultaneous operations for associated pathologies were performed in 19 cases (21.8%) in our MIS group, in 8 of them (9.19%) for a preoperatively unknown associated pathology, compared to 4 simultaneous operations performed in 4 patients (16.7%) in the open surgery group. We observed intra-operative complications in 2 cases in Group 1; early postoperative complications included hematuria in 14 cases (16%). The duration of postoperative analgesia was significantly shorter in the MIS group.

Conclusions

Laparoscopic surgery has better cosmetic results and allows for additional diagnostics and simultaneous operations that in turn lead to a shorter duration of postoperative analgesia, but has a longer duration in comparison to an open technique.

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Urachal Excision Using Hidden Incision Endoscopic Surgery Technique in Pediatric Patients

Introduction: Although laparoscopic urachal excision in children has been well reported, there are limited data on a robot-assisted surgery (RAS) approach. The hidden incision endoscopic surgery (HIdES) technique is an established method of eliminating visible scars following a number of RAS urologic procedures. We report our experience of using a robotic approach to treat urachal anomalies in children, and we present the first description of utilizing the HIdES port configuration for this procedure. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed pediatric patients who underwent resection of a urachal remnant at our institution from 2013 to 2018. Surgical techniques were either the traditional open approach (OA) or RAS. HIdES trocar placement configuration was employed in all robotic cases. Patient demographics, perioperative data, pathology reports, and outcomes were abstracted and compared. Results: Twenty-three patients underwent a urachal remnant resection in the study period (RAS: 14 patients vs OA: 9 patients). RAS patients were older (8.5 vs 2.0 years, p = 0.031) and weighed more than OA patients (36.1 vs 13.9 kg, p = 0.063). Median operative time for RAS was longer than OA operative time (136 vs 33 minutes, p < 0.01). Fewer RAS patients were outpatient compared with OA (7.1% vs 66.7%, p < 0.01), but with a median length of stay of 1 day (0-1 day). Two patients (14.3%) in the RAS group experienced postoperative complications within 1 week of the procedure compared with 1 (11.1%) in the OA group. There was no significant difference in blood loss, postoperative narcotic requirements, or duration of follow-up between both groups. Conclusion: RAS is a safe and feasible alternative to open surgery for urachal anomalies. Complete excision can be achieved by using HIdES port configuration, allowing for excellent cosmetic outcomes that are superior to traditional surgical scars without limitation to essential surgical ergonomics.

Imaging of urachal anomalies

Urachal anomalies are classified into four types depending on the level of persistence of the embryonic urachal remnants between the urinary bladder and the umbilicus: patent urachus, umbilical-urachal sinus, urachal cyst, and vesico-urachal diverticulum. Due to the increasing use of cross-sectional imaging, urachal anomalies are frequently detected as incidental findings. Imaging plays a pivotal role in the initial diagnosis, evaluation of complications, treatment follow-up, and long-term surveillance of patients with urachal anomalies. Different urachal anomalies demonstrate characteristic imaging features that aid in a timely diagnosis and guide treatment. A patent urachus is visualized as an elongated tubular structure between the umbilicus and the urinary bladder. While umbilical-urachal sinus appears as focal dilatation at the umbilical end of the urachal remnant, the vesico-urachal diverticulum presents as a focal outpouching of the urinary bladder at anterosuperior aspect. Urachal cysts are identified as midline fluid-filled sacs most frequently located near the dome of the urinary bladder. Untreated urachal anomalies could progress into potential complications, including infection and malignancy. Knowledge regarding imaging features of urachal anomalies helps in timely diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and early detection of complications.

Umbilicus-sparing laparoscopic versus open approach for treating symptomatic urachal remnants in adults

The traditional surgical approach for removing a symptomatic urachal remnant is via a lower midline laparotomy and infraumbilical incision or a laparoscopic approach with umbilicoplasty. We reviewed our experience with umbilicus-sparing laparoscopic urachal remnant excision in a single-center study and evaluated its efficacy versus open approach (OA). This study was a retrospective study. Between March 2012 and September 2016, 32 consecutive patients with symptomatic urachal remnants underwent the umbilicus-sparing laparoscopic approach (USLA) (n = 17) or OA (n = 15). The efficacy, recovery, and long-term outcomes were reviewed. Our Results showed that the clinical characteristics of the patients in each group, such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and disease type, had no significant differences (P > .05). No significant difference was found in the surgical procedure times (76.1 ± 15.4 vs 69.2 ± 13.9 minutes, P = .189) and intraoperative blood loss (29.4 ± 13.3 vs 32.2 ± 12.9 mL, P = .543) between the USLA groups and OA groups. However, the mean postoperative hospital stay (patients with bladder cuff excision: 4.1 ± 1.8 vs 6.1 ± 1.4 days, P = .040 and patients without bladder cuff excision: 1.8 ± 0.5 vs 3.6 ± 0.8 days, P < .001) and the time of full recovery (11.2 ± 1.9 vs 15.6 ± 3.1 days, P < .001), the USLA group were both significantly shorter than that of the OA group. No infected recurrence and malignant transformation had occurred at a mean follow-up of 32.4 ± 8.1 and 34.1 ± 8.8 months in USLA group and OA group, respectively. In conclusion, to minimize the morbidity of radical excision, umbilicus-sparing management of benign urachal remnants in adults is a safe and efficacious alternative with superior cosmetic outcomes, postoperative recovery compared with an OA or umbilicoplasty.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of a patent urachus associated with a patent omphalomesenteric duct in a newborn: A case report

RATIONAL

Patent urachus (PU) is due to an incomplete obliteration of the urachus, whereas patent omphalomesenteric duct (POMD) is due to an incomplete obliteration of the vitelline duct. These anomalies are very rarely associated with one another. We describe a case of a newborn with a PU associated with a POMD, who was diagnosed by an abdominal ultrasound (US) and laparoscopy, and managed with a minimally invasive excision.

PATIENT CONCERN

A 28-day-old male neonate was referred to our hospital to investigate a delay in umbilical healing, with blood-mucinous material spillage for 3 weeks prior to the referral. The baby had no symptoms and was in good general health.

DIAGNOSIS

After a thorough cleaning of the umbilical stump, a clear granuloma with a suspected fistula was evident under the seat of the ligature of the stump. An abdominal US examination revealed the formation of a full communication, starting below the umbilical stump and developing along the anterior abdominal wall that connected with the bladder dome. The US also revealed a tubular formation containing air, which was compatible with POMD, in the deepest portion of the same umbilical stump. Considering these findings, the rare diagnosis of a PU associated with a POMD duct was suspected.

INTERVENTIONS

The child was then hospitalized for an elective laparoscopy that confirmed the US picture, and a minimally invasive excision was performed.

OUTCOME

The postoperative course was favorable and uneventful.

LESSONS

Our case underlines the importance of evaluating all persisting umbilical lesions without delay when conventional pharmacological therapies fail. Using a US as the first approach is valuable and should be supported by laparoscopy to confirm the diagnosis; a minimally invasive excision of the remnants appears to be an effective therapeutic approach.

[Management of urachal remnants in children: Is surgical excision mandatory?]

INTRODUCTION

The classical management of urachal remants consists in surgical resection, in order to prevent infections and long term malignancies. However, some reports have recently spread a wait and see management. The aim of our study was to report the results of the surgical management in our center.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, monocentric review of all patients managed for urachal remnants from January 2005 to December 2014.

RESULTS

Thirty-five patients have been operated during the study period (18 girls and 17 boys). Mean age at surgery was 4,9±4,4 years old. Twenty-seven patients were referred due to symptoms whereas 8 were discovered incidentally (4 by ultrasound scan and 4 during laparoscopy). Among them, 10 were urachal cysts, 15 were urachus sinusa and 10 were patent urachus. Thirty were operated using an open approach and 5 using a laparoscopic approach. Mean length of stay was 3,8±1,7days (1-10) with a mean duration of bladder drainage of 2,5±1 days. No major complications occurred. No abnormal tissue was discovered at the histological analysis.

CONCLUSION

Presentation of urachal remnants is variable but surgical outcomes remain excellent in our experience. When symptoms occur, the surgical decision is easy, but when the diagnosis is incidental, the decision is much more complicated. Official guidelines could ease the decision process and the management of urachal anomalies.