Background: Laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) is generally considered to be technically challenging. A scarcity of studies has particularly focused on the learning curve (LC) of this technique. The present study was aimed to objectively evaluate the LC of laparoscopic KPE in a medical center with relatively low caseload of biliary atresia (BA). Materials and Methods: Thirty-five consecutive pediatric patients treated with laparoscopic KPE for BA by the same surgeon team between 2012 and 2018 were retrospectively enrolled in the present study. Operative time (OT) was selected as the surrogate marker. Cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis was applied to describe the LC of laparoscopic KPE. Results: The turning point of the CUSUM curve occurred at the 21st case, which divided the curve into two distinct phases, phase 1 (the initial 21 cases) and phase 2 (the remaining 14 cases). The curve was best modeled as a second-order polynomial with equation CUSUM in minutes equal to -0.9161 × case number2 + 32.097 × case number + 7.8217 (R2 = 0.981). Age at surgery, sex, weight, and preoperative liver function were well balanced between the two phases (each P > .05). The OT was significantly decreased in phase 2 compared with phase 1 (P < .0001). Furthermore, the rates of early jaundice clearance and 2-year native liver survival were higher in phase 2. The rate of postoperative cholangitis was comparable between the two phases. Conclusions: Two characteristic phases of the LC for laparoscopic KPE were identified using CUSUM analysis and represented the initial learning period and the subsequent period of technical mastery, respectively. Surgeons are possible to acquire competency of laparoscopic KPE in relatively low-case centers.
Keywords: biliary atresia; cumulative sum; laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy; learning curve.