10-year experience with single-site laparoscopic-assisted Soave operation for Hirschsprung disease

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical outcomes after a transumbilical single-site laparoscopic-assisted Soave operation (TSLSO) for Hirschsprung disease (HD) in children, with a 10-year follow‑up results assessment. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 165 children with HD from January 2013 to January 2023. The operation method was a TSLSO. The operation time, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative abdominal drainage time, postoperative hospitalization time, and postoperative complications were analyzed. All 165 cases were successfully completed using the TSLSO. The median operative time was 160 (120-210) minutes, and the median volume of bleeding was 9 mL (3-15 mL). The median length of the resected intestine was 25 cm (20-32 cm), and the median postoperative peritoneal drainage time was 4.2 days (3-6 days). Postoperative defecation function generally recovered well, there was no recurrence of constipation. There were three cases of anal stenosis, 12 cases of perianal dermatitis, two cases of adhesive intestinal obstruction, 14 cases of soiling, and 18 cases of enterocolitis. The TSLSO is a safe and feasible surgical method for the treatment of HD in children. It has the advantages of little bleeding, a good cosmetic effect, and fast postoperative recovery. However, it does require skilled laparoscopic technique by the surgeon.