Laparoscopic-Assisted Transanal Pull-Through in Hirschsprung Disease: Does Laparoscopic Dissection Minimize Anal Overstretching?

Introduction: Surgical treatment for Hirschsprung disease (HD) has evolved from a staged repair to a primary operation but is still associated with significant complications. Extensive transanal dissection may overstretch the sphincter and cause partial tear; however, laparoscopic dissection can decrease rectal overstretching. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the outcome of surgical management of HD and the efficacy of laparoscopic-assisted transanal endorectal pull-through in infants and children in our center. Patients and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 74 patients who underwent surgical repair of HD from 2006 to 2019. However, we excluded 42 patients with HD (patients with stoma [n = 33] and total colonic aganglionosis [n = 9]). The remaining 32 patients were divided into two groups. Group A included patients who had transanal pull-through with laparoscopic assistance only to visualize the transition zone, take a biopsy, and check for twisting or bleeding. Group B included patients who had laparoscopic-assisted transanal pull-through with dissection of the rectum. All patients had Soave repair with an approximate cuff length of 5 cm. Results: Group A included 18 patients, whereas group B included 14 patients. Demographic data were comparable between the two groups with no significant difference in age or gender (P = .12 and .67, respectively). Patients in group A had longer operative time (210 +/- 20.75 minutes versus 178 +/- 18.92 minutes; P < .001) and hospital stay (6 +/- 1.33 days versus 5 +/- 1.24 days; P = .033). No significant difference was observed in postoperative complications between both groups (anastomotic site stricture, P = .295; persistent soiling, P = .238). Conclusion: Laparoscopic rectal dissection for managing HD is associated with less operative time and hospital stay. In addition, all procedures required for the repair can be safely performed using laparoscopy.