General considerations after pediatric laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery

  With the further maturation of laparoscopic techniques and equipment development, laparoscopic/minimally invasive surgery has been widely used in general surgery clinics. Procedures that can be performed with the assistance of laparoscopy now account for about 85% of our total surgical volume. For common conditions such as laparoscopic correction of hiatal hernia/synovial effusion and laparoscopic appendectomy, the postoperative recovery time is significantly shorter than that of traditional procedures because of less injury, and the hospital stay of the child is greatly reduced, and most of the postoperative recovery can be completed at home. The advantage of this is that, on the one hand, the home environment is more comfortable and can bring greater psychological security to the child, and on the other hand, it greatly saves the parents’ time and financial burden.  In postoperative laparoscopic recovery, we may observe the following phenomena in the child: 1. a slight cramping sensation in the abdomen  2. Within a week, there may be a very slight amount of blood leakage from the umbilical incision.  3. If there is too much movement, there may be burning discomfort and pain around the incision.  4.Lethargy.  5.There may be some nausea due to the effects of anesthetic drugs.  6.Soreness in the shoulders and chest (due to stimulation of the diaphragm by artificial pneumoperitoneum gas).  Therefore: 1. On the day of surgery, we need the child to rest in bed and gradually increase the activity level over the next 2 days until the child has no significant discomfort. For children with hiatal hernia or syringomyelia, try to stay in bed for a week.  2. Pain relievers can be given as prescribed by the doctor.  3. Keep the incision dry for at least 24 hours. If it gets wet with water, a sterile cotton swab can be used immediately to absorb it. The incision adhesive usually falls off by itself in a week or so, try to keep it dry.  4.The dressing of the incision can be removed after 24 hours.  5.School-age children can go to school within a week without any discomfort.  6.Take medication as prescribed by the doctor.  7.Eating can be resumed only after at least 6 hours after surgery. First try to drink a small amount of water or juice, if there is no discomfort, eat more. Do not eat spicy food for the first meal after surgery.  Please return to the hospital promptly for follow-up if any of the following occurs: 1. Blood oozing from the incision and the effect of pressure to stop bleeding is not obvious.  2. There is relatively severe abdominal pain or discomfort.  3.Severe vomiting within 24 hours after surgery.  4.Body temperature over 38 degrees Celsius.  5.Redness of the incision or more discharge.