An evaluation of spinal anesthesia results in pediatric patients undergoing pilonidal sinus surgery: a retrospective study

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy, side-effects, and complications of spinal anesthesia (SpA) in children undergoing pilonidal sinus surgery with SpA. Methods: The records of pediatric patients who underwent pilonidal sinus surgery with SpA from January 2019 to March 2023 were retrospectively evaluated from the database in the Samsun University Samsun Maternity & Children's Training and Research Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Türkiye. Children's sociodemographic characteristics, clinical and vital signs, motor block duration, operative time, and complications were recorded. Results: Eighty-one patients underwent pilonidal sinus surgery with SpA, 54 (66.7%) boys and 27 (33.3%) girls, with a mean age of 14.38±1.29 years. The patients’ mean body mass index was 26.83±1.1 kg.m-2, and the success rate was 96.3% (n=78). Eleven (13.6%) patients received supplemental anesthesia among the 78 procedures completed using SpA. The incidence of complications was 5.1% (n=4). Intraoperative hypotension developed in two cases and postoperative vomiting in two, all of which resolved with no sequelae. Conclusion: Our retrospective analysis suggests that pediatric SpA is a safe and effective technique for children undergoing pilonidal sinus surgery. However, further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.