Laparoscopic Resection of Retroperitoneal Neuroblastoma Detected by a Mass Screening Test as an Alternative to Open Laparotomy

Abstract

Purpose: Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive procedure even in infants. We reviewed our experiences of laparoscopic resection in retroperitoneal neuroblastoma detected by a mass screening test (NBMS). Materials and Methods: Five patients with retroperitoneal NBMS underwent laparoscopic resection (LR group). Their ages ranged from 7 to 9 months; four were male and one female. Three tumors were found in the left retroperitoneum and two in the right. There were no symptoms, and all were in INSS 1. We compared surgery time, amount of blood loss, post operative fast period, length of hospital stay (LHS), and complications between the LR group and the 6 cases which underwent open laparotomic resection (OR group). Results: In the LR group, the surgery time of the two most recent cases was shorter than that of the first two cases. There were no complications other than a temporary circulatory disturbance to the upper pole of the kidney. Although operation time in the laparoscopic group was significantly longer than in the open group, the amount of blood loss was significantly smaller. There were no significant differences in the postoperative fast period or LHS. Conclusions: Due to the small number of cases, it is difficult to conclude the usefulness of laparoscopic resection in retroperitoneal tumors. However, laparoscopic resection has the potential to be an effective treatment for retroperitoneal tumors in infants.