Laparoscopic umbilical appendicostomy in children (Malone surgery): experience in treating 3 patients

Introduction. Fecal incontinence of various origins still remains a complex medical and social problem that reduces both the quality of life and the chance of child’s full integration into the modern society. Antegrade enema, originally described by Malone, consists of creating an appendicostomy or neoappendicostomy of the ileum, which allows to irrigate the entire colon in order to empty the colon and rectum. As a result, children stay clean from 24 to 72 hours. Thus, surgical intervention can significantly improve the quality of life of children suffering of incontinence. Laparoscopic access minimizes surgical trauma and shortens rehabilitation period.
Purpose. To analyze the obtained outcomes after treating children with laparoscopic umbilical appendicostomy.
Material and methods. We report our own results obtained after performing laparoscopic umbilical appendicostomy in 3 children at the Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Children and Adolescents, FMBA of Russia. Two children had neurological disorders of the pelvic organ; the third child suffered a severe combined injury, which led to the development of gross scarring changes in the sphincter area with a complete loss of its contractility. All children underwent laparoscopic umbilical appendicostomy. The article describes in detail all the stages of preoperative preparation and surgical intervention.
Results. The duration of surgery ranged from 60 to 80 minutes. An appendicostomy intubator was left for 1 month in all cases. Hospital stay ranged from 8 to 11 days. The catamnesis was traced for 3–7 months. Therapeutic effect was assessed by children’s parents as satisfactory; the child remained clean for 12–18 hours, which contributed to socialization and significantly improved the quality of life.
Conclusion. Performing laparoscopic umbilical appendicostomy is a relatively affordable technique. Our own experience has proven its effectiveness. Laparoscopic access minimizes surgical trauma, reduces rehabilitation time, and brings excellent cosmetic results. Malone surgery in children should be considered as a method of choice.