Choledochal cyst in the pediatric population: experience of 13 laparoscopic procedures in two years at a single institution.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the first 13 cases of laparoscopic correction of common bile duct cyst in the Pequeno Príncipe Hospital, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

METHODS: we performed a retrospective analysis of medical records of cases of choledochal cyst operated by laparoscopy between March 2014 and September 2016.

RESULTS: of the 13 patients, eight were female and the mean age at surgery was 7.8 years. The most common symptom was abdominal pain. The hepaticoduodenal anastomosis was the most used reconstruction technique, in 84.6% of the cases. There was no conversion to laparotomy or intraoperative complications. Only one patient presented anastomotic fistula and was reoperated by laparotomy. All patients were followed up in an outpatient clinic, were asymptomatic and had no episode of cholangitis after surgery, with a mean follow-up of 16 months.

CONCLUSION: laparoscopy is a safe method to correct choledochal cysts, even in younger children, with low rates of complications and low rates of conversion to open surgery when performed by well trained surgeons.