EXPERIENCE WITH VIDEO ASSISTED THORACOSCOPIC SURGERY IN CHILDREN

Haluk Güvenç, Gülşen Ekingen, Ufuk Şenel, Selami Sözübir

Kocaeli Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Çocuk Cerrahisi Ana Bilim Dalı, Kocaeli

Background: Nowadays, advances in video-endoscopic technology have allowed for application of thoracoscopic surgery in pediatric population. The aim of study was to evaluate the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in children with various chest diseases

Methods: Between 2001 and 2003, video- assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 19 patients with a mean age of 5. 6 years. The diseases included empyema, lung abscess, pneumothocell, diaphragm eventration, mediastinal mass, chest wall arterio-venous malformation. In all cases, localization of lesions were determined by radiological examination before operation and the surgery was done under bilateral lung ventilation.

Results: The mean operative time was 95 minutes (75-180). The mean duration of chest tube drainage was 4 days (1-8) and hospital stay was 7.2 days after surgery (3-11). Conversion to open surgery was necessary in two cases. One patient was reoperated. There is no death.

Conclusion: We consider that video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery can be preferred safely for management of chest disease in children.

Keywords : Thoracoscopy, empyema, diaphragm plication, hidatid cyst, child

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