Laparoscopic treatment of intussusception in children: A systematic review

BackgroundIdiopathic intussusception is one of the most common causes of small bowel obstruction in children. In the event of failed radiological reduction, laparotomy remains the treatment of choice. There is still no agreement in pediatric surgery about safety and effectiveness of the use of minimally invasive surgery in this common pediatric condition. By reviewing available data we aimed to establish whether laparoscopy should be the primary technique in the surgical reduction of intussusception.MethodsA systematic review of all publications on the laparoscopic treatment of pediatric intussusception from January 1990 to April 2012 was performed. The following variables were analyzed: age, laparoscopic success rate, reason for conversion, enterotomy rate, operative time, complications, and length of stay (LOS).ResultsTen retrospective studies treating 276 cases of laparoscopically reduced intussusception were identified. A total of 80 conversions corresponded to a 71.0% laparoscopic success rate. Only one case of intraoperative iatrogenic intestinal perforation was reported (0.4%). Postoperative complications occurred in 8 patients (2.9%), and adhesive small bowel obstruction was reported in 1 case (0.4%). Recurrence rate after laparoscopy was 3.6%. Three of 10 papers compared results between laparoscopic and open reduction of intussusception showing a shorter mean LOS in the former group (4.0 vs. 7.1 days, p < 0.01).ConclusionLaparoscopy is safe and effective in the treatment of pediatric intussusception. Tertiary centers with adequate minimally invasive skills should establish laparoscopy as the primary surgical technique in the treatment of this condition.