2021 Volume 57 Issue 3 Pages 596-599
Purpose: The treatment outcomes of patients with laparoscopic surgery for biliary atresia (laparoscopic portoenterostomy) were retrospectively evaluated to determine whether to limit the laparoscopic surgery for biliary atresia to fully experienced surgeons.
Methods: We included 37 patients with laparoscopic portoenterostomy for biliary atresia at our institution from 2014 to 2018. Twelve patients were treated by a surgeon fully experienced in laparoscopic portoenterostomy (Group A) and 23 patients were treated by other surgeons (Group B). Jaundice reduction and jaundice-free survival of patients with the native liver in the two groups were compared.
Results: Differences in age at the time of surgery, body weight, perioperative blood loss, time of drain removal, and time that milk or formula feeding resumed in both groups were not significant. The duration of surgery was significantly shorter in Group A than in Group B. The jaundice-free survival rates of patients with the native liver were 58.3% in Group A and 60.9% in Group B at 6 months after surgery, 66.7% in Group A and 65.2% in Group B at 1 year after surgery, and 58.3% in Group A and 56.5% in Group B at 2 years after surgery. No significant difference was observed.
Conclusions: In this study, no significant difference in the rate of jaundice-free survival of patients with the native liver depending on the amount of surgical experience was observed under the guidance of an operator who was skilled in laparoscopic portoenterostomy.