Results of treatment of fifty children with persistent cloaca in one center

BACKGROUND: The preserved cloaca is a particular type of anorectal anomaly. The combination of urological, genital, and rectal abnormalities makes radical reconstruction difficult. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study examined operations performed in 50 patients with persistent cloaca treated from 2010 to 2021. Two groups are presented: the first with 35 children and a short canal (3 cm), and the second with 15 children and a long canal (3 cm). We examined the prognosis for bowel control, the type of operation, the need for vaginal reconstruction, complications after surgery, and the days of hospital stay. RESULTS: Anomalies of the Mllerian ducts in the second group (94%) were higher than in the first (36%) (p 0.001). The sacral index and myelodysplasia did not differ in both groups. The sacral index in the first group was 0.62 0.14, and in the second group, it was 0.58 0.14 (p = 0.520). Myelodysplasia in the first group was 33%, and in the second group, it was 38% (p = 0.744). Total urogenital mobilization (51%) was used in the first group, and abdominal reconstruction (54%) was used in the second group. Vaginal reconstruction was required in 28% of patients in the first group and 60% in the second group. Complications were 3.5 times more likely in the first group (60% versus 17% in the second) (p = 0.003). The length of hospital stay in patients in the second group was longer than that of patients in the first group. CONCLUSION: Our study data demonstrate that the reconstruction of a persistent cloaca requires individual planning of the operation, considering the length of the canal and the state of all structures forming the cloaca.

Robotic hernia repair

The principle of targeted separation or weakening of individual components of the abdominal wall to relieve tension in the median line during major abdominal reconstruction has been known for over 30 years as anterior component separation (aCS) and is an established procedure. In search of alternatives with lower complication rates, posterior component separation (pCS) was developed; transversus abdominis release (TAR) is a nerve-sparing modification of pCS. With the ergonomic resources of robotics (e.g., angled instruments), TAR can be performed in a minimally invasive manner (r-TAR): hernia gaps of up to 14 cm can be closed and a large extraperitoneal mesh implanted. In this video article, the treatment of large incisional hernias using the r‑TAR technique is presented. Exemplary results of a cohort study in 13 consecutive patients are presented. The procedure is challenging, but our own results—as well as reports from the literature—are encouraging. The r‑TAR is becoming the pinnacle procedure for abdominal wall reconstruction.