Laparoscopy in children with ill-defined abdominal pain.

The experience gained with 225 laparoscopies in newborns and older children is reported. Most laparoscopies started as diagnostic procedures and, once a diagnosis was established, were carried on as surgical interventions. The procedures were appendectomies, lyses of adhesions, cyst resections, interventions on the internal genitalia, resections of Meckel's diverticula, and herniotomies. The children ranged from newborns weighing 1,850 g to 15-year-olds, the average age being 8 years. The majority of children were girls (60%) with recurrent ill-defined lower abdominal pain. Laparoscopy provides excellent exposure. Though the complication rate does exceed that of similar conventional procedures, with practice a comparable operating time may be achieved. The cosmetic result is better. The expenses for installation and manpower are high, but in-hospital time is decreased.