[Laparoscopy in pediatric surgery].

The aim of this paper is to show our experience in Laparoscopic Surgery in the pediatric age. We make a review of 37 patients, in whom we carried out a laparoscopy. In 20 (54%) the laparoscopy was therapeutic: 15 appendectomies, 1 cholecystectomy, 1 ventriculo-peritoneal catheter extraction, 1 ovarian cyst, 1 bilateral oophorectomy and 1 adhesiolysis. In others 17 (46%) was diagnostic: 15 hepatic biopsies, 1 intussusception and 1 abdominal mass biopsy. Of 15 appendectomies, 8 were for acute appendicitis and 7 for chronic process. The age have ranged from 1 month to 18 years. The operative time from 2 h 30 min to 35 min. We had not complications and the average hospital stay was of 2 days. We can say that this is an useful technique in pediatric surgery.