Laparoscopic treatment of symptomatic urachal remnants in children.

PURPOSE: To evaluate laparoscopic treatment of symptomatic urachal remnants in children, the authors review their experience analyzing different approaches and results obtained in a 8-year period.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: From July 2005 to September 2013, 12 children underwent 13 interventions for treatment of symptomatic urachal remnants. In four patients, the technique was a laparoscopic-assisted removal of the remnant, in two patients, a laparoscopic-assisted drainage of an urachal abscess, and in seven patients, a laparoscopic excision of the remnant. One patient underwent a double intervention-laparoscopic drainage of an infected urachal remnant and its delayed laparoscopic excision.

RESULTS: The laparoscopic-assisted removal of the urachal remnant was performed in two cases of infected urachal sinus, in one case of symptomatic sinus, and in one cases of infected urachal cyst. The laparoscopic-assisted drainage of urachal abscesses was performed in two patients: In one patient, the abscess was because of an infected sinus while in the other patient, the abscess was caused by an infected cyst. Of the seven patients treated with pure laparoscopic technique, one had a symptomatic sinus, another had an association between a symptomatic urachal sinus and an urachal cyst, and five patients had a symptomatic urachal cyst. In all cases, intraoperative or postoperative complications and recurrences did not occur, and the cosmetic results were good. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 8 years and 8 months.

CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic surgery for symptomatic urachal remnants is safe and reliable in cases of drainage of urachal abscess and in cases of excision of the remnant. Laparoscopy allows a radical excision of the remnants with all the advantages of this procedure. In case of conversion, laparoscopic-assisted technique with minimal incision could be a good alternative to open surgery.