Aim: Scoliosis, which is often associated with neurological impairment in children, sometimes makes it difficult to perform laparoscopic procedures. This study assessed the impact of scoliosis on performing laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.
Methods: Medical records and radiographic examinations of patients who underwent laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication at a single institution from 2006 to 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients' data on age at surgery, height, weight, duration of pneumoperitoneum, and amount of bleeding were collected. The Cobb angle was measured using X-rays, and the direction (right or left) of the scoliotic curve was recorded. The chest compression ratio was calculated using computed tomography axial images.
Results: Eighty-five patients were included and analyzed in this study, of which 89% were neurologically impaired. Median age, height, and weight were 120 months, 110 cm, and 17 kg, respectively. A positive correlation between age and the Cobb angle (ρ = 0.64) and a negative correlation between age and the chest compression ratio (ρ = -0.56) were observed. The right-curved scoliotic group showed significantly more bleeding than the nonscoliotic (<10°) group (P = .01; nonscoliotic, 0 mL; right curved, 7.5 mL; left curved, 0 mL). The severe scoliotic group (≥45°) showed more bleeding than the nonscoliotic group (P = .02). Neither the direction of the scoliotic curve nor scoliotic severity showed a significant difference in the duration of pneumoperitoneum.
Conclusions: The older the patient, the more severe their scoliosis and chest compression were. Right-curved or severe scoliosis could be risk factors for intraoperative bleeding in laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.
Keywords: complication; fundoplication; laparoscopy; neurologically impaired children; scoliosis.