Italian multicentric survey on laparoscopic spleen surgery in the pediatric population.

Abstract Background: Some technical aspects of laparoscopic spleen surgery still are debated, although efforts have been made to standardize them. The position of the patient, the approach to the spleen, vessel identification and division, and spleen extraction can vary from center to center. Methods: This retrospective muticentric study led by the Societa` Italiana di Videochirurgia Infantile (SIVI) examined indications, surgical details, and complications of laparoscopic spleen surgery in the pediatric population during a 5-year period. Results: The study period from January 1999 to December 2003 (5 years) involved nine centers and included 85 patients with a mean age of 10 years (range, …