Evolution of the surgical management of bowel atresia in newborn: laparoscopically assisted treatment.

PURPOSE: The jejunal-ileal atresias are the most common cause of intestinal occlusion in neonatal period and the duodenal atresia is the most common cause of high bowel obstruction in newborn. The treatment classically used is performed by a transverse sovraumbilical laparotomy. The first "minimal-invasive" approach was performed at the end of the years '70. Nowadays three clusters of thought are delineated about of mini-invasive treatment of small bowel atresias: the intestinal continuity can be established with a circumbilical incision, a totally laparoscopic technique or a laparoscopically assisted approach. It's presented our initial experience of bowel atresia in newborn treated with laparoscopically assisted approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three newborns with prenatal diagnosis of suspected bowel obstruction and one with suspected duodenal atresia, confirmed the diagnosis after birth, underwent to laparoscopically-assisted surgery to correct these congenital anomalies. We have treated with this procedure a duodenal atresia, two jejunal atresias and an ileal form. Surgical management was consisted of an explorative laparoscopy that allowed to recognize and isolate the pathological portion. The second step was traditional open surgery: after the exteriorization of the pathological tract through the umbilical wound, we performed the intestinal anastomosis. RESULTS: In all cases the operation was completed successfully, no conversion was necessary. Intraoperatively no complications occurred. The post-operative course was uneventful. CONCLUSION: The video-assisted technique for the correction of small bowel atresia adds the advantages of the classic laparotomic procedure to the laparoscopic ones.