Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty in Paediatric Age Group with Standard Adult Sized Laparoscopic Instruments

Most paediatric patients attend Urology Outpatient Department with diagnosis of pelviureteric junction obstruction. Now-a-days laparoscopic pyeloplasty is increasingly been used for the pelviureteric junction obstruction in paediatric patients. In the present case series, four paediatric patients of pelviureteric junction obstruction with age group of six, seven, eight and 12 years underwent laparoscopic pyeloplasty with adult sized laparoscopic instruments with ports size of 5 mm and 10 mm. Outcomes were measured in terms of mean operative duration, mean hospital stay and complications and improvement in Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). Mean operative duration was 211 min , mean blood loss of 96.25 mL and mean hospital stay was 5.75 days. Mean preoperative and mean postoperative GFR (at three months) were 53.19 mL/min and 55.35 mL/min respectively. In postoperative period one patient had increased drain output of more than 250 mL up to postoperative day three. All four patients had minor complications like postoperative fever on postoperative and ileus which were managed conservatively. Mean postoperative follow up duration was six weeks when Double-J (DJ) stent was removed. All patients had good outcome in terms of being asymptomatic and decreased hydronephrosis on follow-up renal ultrasonography and increased function of operated kidney on renal scan at three months. Based on intraoperative and postoperative observations, adult sized laparoscopic instruments can be used with ease with changes in port position and length of instrument inserted , adult sized laparoscopic instruments can be a useful armamentarium for paediatric laparoscopic pyeloplasty in cases of unavailability or intraoperative instrumental damage.