IPEG 2020 TOP ABSTRACT: Pushing the Limits of Pediatric Robotic Surgery

Topic overview

IPEG 2020 Annual Meeting - Top Abstracts

Authors: Maria C Mora, MD; Afif N Kulaylat, MD; Jennifer H Aldrink, MD; Marc P Michalsky, MD; Gail E Besner, MD; Karen A Diefenbach, MD; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital

Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery has been widely adopted by both adult and pediatric surgical specialties. Despite this, the small surgical working space associated with younger children poses potential technical limitations and resultant apprehension for the adoption of robotic surgery in the pre-adolescent and younger age groups. We present a single institutional series of robotically-assisted surgical procedures performed in small children, including median acute ligament release, transthoracic ganglioneuroblastoma resection, and the smallest single site robotic cholecystectomy to date. Patients were 3-4 years of age with weights between 14.3-22 kg. All patients were discharged to home as expected without complications. Although, robotic surgery may present some limitations with the currently available port and instrumentation sizes, in carefully selected patients it continues to prove valuable, even for very young patients.

Presenter: Maria C Mora, MD
Email: cmora306@gmail.com
@MarcMichalskyMD
@KarenDiefenbach
@cmora306
@AfifKulaylat
@nationwidekids

Intended audience: Healthcare professionals and clinicians.