Laparoscopic surgery in newborn infants

Background: Thanks to various technical innovations and advances in instrumentation, laparoscopic surgical intervention is now possible for certain congenital anomalies in children. To test the applicability of laparoscopic surgery in neonates, we reviewed our personal experience of neonatal laparoscopic surgery, focusing on cardiopulmonary function, surgical procedures, problems with devices, and degree of associated surgical stress. Methods: We performed 65 laparoscopic procedures in neonates. Their ages ranged from 2 to 30 days old, and their body weights ranged from 1,980 to 4,780 g. All 65 laparoscopic procedures were carried out without mortality or serious morbidity. Results: As complications, we encountered four cases of hypothermia due to rapid insufflation of carbon dioxide (CO2). We also found that relative hypercapnea (increase in end-tidal CO2 as high as 61 mmHg) developed unless hyperventilation and a relatively high peak insufflation pressure were maintained during pneumoperitoneum. No cardiac depression developed at this insufflation pressure. Fluid and electrolyte balance during our cases of newborn laparoscopic surgery, as well as the doses and volumes of fluid and electrolytes administered, were identical to those required for open surgery. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was measured serially to estimate the degree of associated surgical stress and was found to be significantly lower in neonates who had received laparoscopic procedures than in those who had received open procedures. Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery can be carried out safely even in neonates.