Laparoscopic dissection in children with celiac artery compression syndrome

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A cause of abdominal pain in children may be compression stenosis of the celiac trunk (Dunbars syndrome). This disease occurs when the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm compresses the celiac trunk, thereby creating compression stenosis, causing the arterial hemodynamics in the artery to suffer and provide adequate blood circulation to the abdominal cavity organs. Medical statistics indicate that 10% to 15% of children and adolescents suffering from chronic abdominal pain have compression stenosis of the celiac trunk. AIM: This study aims to improve the diagnostic results and identify the indications for the surgical treatment of children with compression stenosis of the celiac trunk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2015 to 2020 at the N.F. Filatov Childrens Hospital, 64 patients, aged 4 to 17 years underwent surgical treatment for compression stenosis of the celiac trunk. There are 42 boys (66%) and 22 girls (34%). The leading clinical manifestation in all patients was abdominal pain. Associated surgical pathology was observed in 34 of them. The diagnosis was based on anamnesis, examination, ultrasound examination with Doppler and celiac trunk blood flow measurements, multispiral computed tomography, and angiography. RESULTS: After completing the examination, 61 patients underwent laparoscopic decompression of the celiac trunk, and three children were operated on using the laparotomic approach. In all cases, the leading cause of compression stenosis of the celiac trunk was the median arcuate ligament of the diaphragm combined with the neurofibrous tissue of the celiac plexus. The average duration of the operation was 50 minutes. Intraoperative blood loss did not exceed 530 ml. One conversion completed. There were no postoperative complications in the early postoperative period. The patients were discharged in satisfactory condition. The control examination was conducted in the period from six months to three years. In 97% of patients, clinical symptoms of abdominal ischemia were not detected. CONCLUSION: Our experience indicates the possibility of diagnosing compression stenosis of the celiac trunk in children at early disease stages and laparoscopic treatment success of patients with this disease.