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Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the results of a clinical guideline for the treatment and early discharge of patients with complicated acute appendicitis in terms of infectious complications and hospital stay., Materials and Methods: A guideline for appendicitis treatment according to severity was created. Complicated appendicitis cases were treated with ceftriaxone-metronidazole for 48h, with discharge being approved if certain clinical and blood test criteria were met. A retrospective analytical study comparing the incidence of postoperative intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) and surgical site infection (SSI) in patients under 14 years of age to whom the new guideline was applied (Group A) vs. the historical cohort (Group B, treated with gentamicin-metronidazole for 5 days) was carried out. A prospective cohort study to assess which antibiotic therapy (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or cefuroxime-metronidazole) proved more effective in patients meeting early discharge criteria was also conducted., Results: 205 patients under 14 years of age were included in Group A, whereas 109 patients were included in Group B. IAA was present in 14.3% of patients from Group A vs. 13.8% from Group B (p= 0.83), while SSI was present in 1.9% of patients from Group A vs. 8.25% from Group B (p= 0.008). Early discharge criteria were met by 62.7% of patients from Group A. Median hospital stay decreased from 6 to 3 days. At discharge, 57% of patients received amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, whereas 43% received cefuroxime-metronidazole, with no differences being found in terms of SSI (p= 0.24) or IAA (p= 0.12)., Conclusions: Early discharge reduces hospital stay without increasing the risk of postoperative infectious complications. Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid is a safe option for at-home oral antibiotic therapy.

Background: Spigelian hernia is a ventral hernia in the anterior abdominal wall extremely rare in children., Clinic Case: A 13 years old patient is presented with a Spigelian hernia. A surgical repair was successfully performed through a laparoscopic transperitoneal approach without prosthetic reinforcement. A review of 35 pediatric patients published on PubMed between 2000 and 2015 was performed and different therapeutic approaches in pediatric patients were analyzed. Only one patient, and the case reported on this paper, was entirely treated with a laparoscopic approach., Conclusions: Spigelian hernias in childhood can be securely closured with laparoscopic transperitoneal approach., (Copyright: © 2019 Permanyer.)

Background: Pharmacobezoars are aggregates of undigested medications that accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and can cause obstructive or toxic complications. In this paper, the first case is reported of a paediatric pharmacobezoar formation after a vitamin overdose. The objective of this report is to prevent the occurrence of this complication and the action to be taken., Clinic Case: A 6-year-old child, 6h after ingesting 40 chewable tablets of a hydrophobic vitamin E with high capacity to form a pharmacobezoar, underwent urgent oesophagogastroscopy. A viscoelastic mass of 10×4cm was observed stretching from the cardia to the greater curvature. Seventy-five percent of the mass was removed and the remainder was fragmented, hydrated and aspirated. The patient remains asymptomatic to date., Conclusions: An overdose of hydrophobic drugs can produce a bezoar formation therefore prompt evacuation is recommended with an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, which is a safe and effective technique in gastric bezoars., (Copyright © 2016 Academia Mexicana de Cirugía A.C. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Urethral stricture is the most common complication in hypospadias surgery. The monitoring of operated patients allows rapid detection of this complication and the uroflowmetry is the main diagnostic method., Objectives: To study of functional results in patients who underwent distal urethroplasty, using uroflowmetry., Patients and Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 81 patients who underwent distal hypospadias repair (7 coronal, 51 subcoronal and 23 distal penile shaft) and a postoperatory uroflowmetric study. The patients were divided into two groups, in each type of hypospadias, according to the presence or absence of stenotic complications (0 coronal, 10 subcoronal and 5 distal penile shaft). The functional effects in both groups were studied., Results: All patients with stenotic complications showed maximum flow rates and mean flow rates below 15 and 20 percentiles respectively and a plateauing layout of the urinary flow curve. The treatment of these conditions resulted in the normalization of the maximum flow values ​​(in 100% of the subcoronal and 100% of the distal penile shaft hypospadias), as well as in the mean flow values ​​(in 88% of the subcoronal and 75% of the distal penile shaft hypospadias). The curve also adapted a bell-shaped in 100% of the H. coronal and 50% of the H. distal penile shaft. The uroflowmetry presented a spontaneous improvement in all patients without stenotic complications but with low flows in their first uroflowmetric., Conclusions: Uroflowmetry is an objective method for the evaluation of hypospadias surgery, being easy to perform, noninvasive and reliable. Obstructed uroflow patterns point to the presence of a stenotic complication.

Objectives: To highlight the risk factors for the occurrence of this complication in order to achieve an early diagnosis., Methods: Retrospective descriptive study in which the medical records of patients diagnosed with enterocolitis and who have previously undergone surgery for Hirschsprung's disease in a tertiary hospital from 1994 to 2013, inclusive (N=29), were reviewed. Epidemiological, surgical and clinical data from two groups of patients: Group A (6 patients with ECPD) and Group B (23 patients without ECPD) were compared. Enterocolitis episode data in the Group A were studied too., Results: The incidence of an episode of ECPD was 20.6% and the incidence of two episodes of ECPD was 33.3%. The onset occurred at 12.17 months (SD 13.04) after pull-through procedure. The incidence was higher in patients operated at a younger age [10 months in Group A [6-16] versus 14 months in the group B (1-153)] and in those patients with the longest segment resected [23.20 cm in group A (DS 10,52) versus 19.20 cm in group B (DS 6.92)]. No patient with a discharge colostomy before pull-through surgery showed this complication. It must be highlighted the highest incidence in patients undergone by Swenson's technique (25%) compared to other surgical techniques (Georgeson (15.80%), Soave (0%))., Conclusion: Just the length of the resected segment and the patient's age at the time of the pull-through procedure appear to influence the outcome. It is considered advisable to be extremely vigilant in children operated at an early age and subjected to extensive intestinal resection for an early diagnosis and establishment of a treatment to avoid high morbidity.

Objectives: To determine clinical, epidemiological and therapeutic characteristics of pediatric urolithiasis in our institution., Material and Methods: We reviewed retrospectively patients diagnosed with urolithiasis between 1998 and 2010 in our hospital., Results: A total of 32 patients (19 males and 13 females) with a mean age of 4.5 years (SD 1.9) were studied. 72% had a history of metabolic or nephro-urological malformations. The most common presentation was urinary tract infection (53%) and abdominal pain (21%). The diagnosis was made by ultrasound, with compatible X-ray in 18 cases. The most common location was pyelocalyceal level, affecting the left kidney mostly. A 38% had multiple stones with a size of 11 mm medium (3-30 mm). Ureteroscopy was used 16 times for stones in the bladder and distal ureter, with an effectiveness of 75%, and 2 patients required laparoscopic trocar cystotomy for removal. 8 extracorporeal lithotripsy procedures were performed (25% success) and 8 percutaneous nephrolithotomy procedures (37.5% success). In 3 patients we decided to perform a lumbotomy due to the size of the calculi, and, in 1 patient nephrectomy was necessary due to malfunction. The most common complication was lithiasis recurrence in 10 patients, most with multiple stones or metabolic alterations, and favourable outcome for the rest., Conclusions: Pediatric urolithiasis is uncommon, showing an increased incidence in patients with a history of metabolic and urologic pathology; it is important to do additional studies. In the last few years, it has been demonstrated that surgical treatment using minimally invasive procedures is effective and safe.

Introduction: Lymphatic malformations are congenital lesions usually placed in the head and neck, the abdominal location is infrequent., Objectives: Analyze our experience in ALM management., Method: Retrospective study of pediatric patients with ALM from 1996 to 2011. It is a descriptive analysis of clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features., Results: 10 patients with ALM were treated (6 girls: 4 boys), with a median age of 4.03 years (3 days-13 years). Acute abdomen was the most common presenting feature (40%). Ultrasound was carried out in all these cases, completing the study with CT (9 cases), MRI (1) or both (1). Treatment was surgical, excepting one case that presented infection of the ALM. The approach by laparotomy allowed total resection in all cases, involving bowel resection in 6. The mass was located in small bowel mesentery (6), mesocolon (1), liver (1), and in retroperitoneum (1). The final pathologic diagnosis showed an error in diagnostic imaging of 60%.The mean follow-up was 18 months (SD: 12.8), with not recurrences., Conclusions: ALM often manifests in a non-specific form and it may remain silent. Imaging studies guide the diagnosis, but only the histology provides a definitive result. Total resection is the best option to prevent recurrences and minimize complications.

Introduction: Although the surgical treatment of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is well established, its management and main complication after surgery, postoperative vomits, are subject to constant revisions. In this study, we sought a prognostic factor that indicates the occurrence of this complication., Methods: We analyzed different parameters listed in the medical histories of 169 patients treated at a tertiary hospital between 2000 and 2009, both inclusive, ruling out those who suffered some type of complication (n = 17) and those who followed a different pattern of reintroduction of feeding (n = 43)., Results: The decrease in the time interval between surgery and the first shot does not influence the outcome of patients. However, we found a negative correlation between the chlorine level in blood measured by the number of postoperative vomits. The time required to reach a correct tolerance, influenced by the degree of metabolic disorder, does influence both the number of vomits and the time required to achieve a proper tolerance. Other parameters analyzed, such as surgical time and ultrasound measurements of the pyloric olive, do not seem to influence the postoperative course of patients., Conclusion: Just the degree of metabolic disturbance and blood levels of chlorine seem to influence postoperative outcome, detected by the time required to reach a correct tolerance and the number of postoperative vomits.

There are several different techniques for laparoscopic appendectomy (LA), with different material requirements and approach. We present the results from our series, where we employ monopolar hook for mesoappendix dissection and double polyglactin endoloop for ligation of appendicular stump. The appendix is taken out through the Hasson trocar without any contact with abdominal wall, in a completely laparoscopic procedure. We sought to analyze the security of this technique. We reviewed retrospectively every LA for acute appendicitis performed during the last 10 years in our Hospital. We collected data regarding surgical procedure and postoperative outcome, focusing on intraoperative or postoperative complications. A total of hundred and ten (110) LA for acute appendicitis (from simple appendicitis to perforated appendicitis) were performed. Mean operative time was 74.7 minutes (median 70 min, SD 24.43 min, min. 25, max. 130 min). Ten patients (9.09%) had postoperative complications, consisting in intraabdominal abscess in 6 patients (5.4%) and wound infection in 3 patients (2.7%). No major complication was found, as uncontrolled hemorrhage, bowel perforation or stump dehiscence. No patient needed a second surgical procedure in the postoperative time. Laparoscopic appendectomy with polyglactin endoloops is a completely laparoscopic and safe procedure, without any intraoperative complication in our series. Laparoscopic approach with 12 mm Hasson trocar and two 5 mm working trocars allows a nice aesthetic result.