Laparoscopic distal splenoadrenal shunt for the treatment of portal hypertension in children with congenital hepatic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: The distal splenorenal shunt is an effective procedure for the treatment of portal hypertension in children. However, there has been no report about laparoscopic distal splenorenal shunt in the treatment of portal hypertension in children. METHODS: From December 2015 to August 2016, 4 children with upper gastrointestinal bleeding underwent laparoscopic distal splenoadrenal shunt. Portal hypertension and splenomegaly were demonstrated on the preoperative computed tomography (CT) and sonography. The distal splenic vein was mobilized and anastomosed to the left adrenal vein laparoscopically. All patients were followed-up postoperatively. RESULTS: The laparoscopic distal splenoadrenal shunt was successfully performed in all patients. The liver fibrosis was diagnosed by postoperative liver pathology. The operative time ranged from 180 to 360 minutes. The blood loss was minimal. The length of hospital stay was 6 to 13 days. The duration of following-up was 1 to 9 months (median: 3 months). The portal pressure and splenic size were decreased postoperatively. The complete blood count normalized and the biochemistry tests were within normal range after surgery. Postoperative ultrasound and CT confirmed shunt patency and satisfactory flow in the splenoadrenal shunt in all patients. No patient developed recurrence of variceal bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: The laparoscopic splenoadrenal shunt is a feasible treatment of portal hypertension in children.