To determine the efficacy, safety, and cost of managing perforated appendicitis with intravenous antibiotics followed by an interval appendectomy, the charts of 87 children with ruptured appendicitis were retrospectively reviewed. These patients were treated with intravenous fluid resuscitation and antibiotics (consisting of clindamycin and ceftazidime) and underwent appendectomy, either on that admission (n = 46) or as a delayed interval procedure (n = 41). Antibiotics in all cases were discontinued either at home or in the hospital after the child was a febrile for 48 hours with normal white and differential blood cell counts, and the two groups were compared. Seven patients (17%) "failed" the interval appendectomy protocol. All but one "failure" was due to the development or persistence for >72 hours of a bowel obstruction. The data are described below as percent or mean +/- 1 standard deviation. [table: see text] We conclude that antibiotics and interval appendectomy is a safe effective alternative for the management of perforated appendicitis. When successful, hospitalization, charges, and morbidity are less with this approach. A persistent bowel obstruction for 72 hours is an indication to proceed with appendectomy on admission.

No abstract

Aim:To review our experience of laparoscopic repair of Morgagni's hernia (MH) using transfascial sutures.Materials and Methods:This is a retrospective review of patients presenting to the first author with the diagnosis of MH over a 15-year period. The variables analyzed included demographic data, clinical presentation, and operative details.Results:In all there were five male with a median age of 2 years. They were asymptomatic and MH was detected incidentally by observing an air-filled density in the right cardiophrenic angle on plain X-ray of the chest. Computed tomography (CT) confirmed the diagnosis in all patients. All patients underwent laparoscopic repair of MH using transfascial sutures. The average operative time was 75 min. Oral feeding was started 6 h after surgery and patients were discharged on either 3rd or 4th postoperative day. Postoperative follow-up X-ray confirmed the intact repair.Conclusions:Laparoscopic repair of MH using transfascial sutures is an easy and effective solution. Multiple horizontal mattress sutures taking full thickness of abdominal wall muscles with the edge of the diaphragm leads to a strong repair. As sutures are tied extracorporeally, the technique is easily reproducible.