Journal Of Pediatric Surgery Research Articles

To the 60th anniversary of Igor Vitalievich Poddubny

Prof. Igor V. Poddubny, a member of the Editorial Board of the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Dr. Sci. (med), celebrated his 60th anniversary on September 25, 2024. The basic area of his interest and research is mini-invasive endoscopic surgeries in children and adolescents. He has developed and implemented into clinical practice modern surgical techniques for treating children with various emergency and elective surgeries in urology, coloproctology and gynecology. He was the first in Russia to perform endoscopic surgical interventions for varicocele, abdominal cryptorchidism, cysts of parenchymal organs of the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space, as well as laparoscopic nephrectomy, heminephroterectomy, adrenalectomy. He also operated patients with Hirschsprung's disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, colon polyposis, complex malformations of the uterus and vagina, etc.

Podium to Publication: An Analysis of Papers Presented at the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) Congress (2009–19)

BackgroundThe British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) annual congress is an opportunity to present clinical and scientific data that may influence future practice. The presentation of the Abstract is but the first step towards definitive publication in the medical literature. Our aim was to review what the success rate has been from previous congresses. MethodsAbstracts were reviewed for the 11-year-period 2009 to 2019. A MEDLINE search using keywords from title and authors’ names was used to identify subsequent publication. Comparison with a previous dataset [1] (1999-2008) was also carried out. Linear data were compared for trend using Mann-Whitney-U. P ≤ 0.05 was accepted as significant. Data were expressed as median (interquartile range). Results1061 abstracts were presented orally with 555 (52.3%) subsequently published. The number per year was 90 (81–106) compared to 81 (74–79) in 1999–2008 (P = 0.25), although with a higher number actually published thereafter [45 (32–54)% vs. 30 (27–35)%; P = 0.0003)]. Publication occurred in a wide range of journals (n = 99), with most being in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery (n = 251), albeit with a smaller proportion (49% vs. 69% formerly, P < 0.05). Overall, UK institutions contributed 52.6% (n = 558) of abstracts with 240 (43%) of them subsequently published at 19 (17–29)/year. The proportion of UK presentations had increased from 43% formerly (P = 0.016). Most UK presentations originated from institutions within London [41% vs. 45% formerly, P = 0.04]. There was a wide range of abstracts from institutions from outside of the UK (n = 49) with 38 (26–51) abstracts accepted each year and of these 62.4% were subsequently published at 20 (15–36)/year. ConclusionThere has been an increase in abstracts accepted for presentation over the period, together with a higher proportion actually reaching publication. A strong international contribution was noted which has also been maintained. London remains the primary source of abstracts and publications from within the UK, although there was a higher proportion from other UK centres noted over this period.Reference [1] Macdonald AL, Parsons C, Davenport M. Outcome of abstracts presented at the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons congresses (1999–2008). J Pediatr Surg. 2012; 47: 386-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2011.09.043.

Comment on the article “Multiple recurrences of adnexal torsion in a 9-year-old girl: a clinical observation”

Commentary on the article by N.S. Bakaeva, D.A. Baranov, V.A. Vecherkin, V.A. Ptitsyn, P.V. Koryashkin, V.M. Gagloeva “Multiple recurrences of adnexal detorsion in a 9-year-old girl: case report”, published in the journal Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2024;14(3):441–449. DOI: https://doi.org/psaic1781

Commentary on the article «Differential approach to preoperative preparations for diffuse purulent peritonitis in children»

Commentary on the article Zavyalkin VA, Barskaya MA, Yukhimets SN “Differential approach to preoperative preparations for diffuse purulent peritonitis in children” published in the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2024;14(1):57–68. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/psaic1570

Yuri Yu. Sokolov is 60 years old!

On May 27, 2024, Yuri Yu. Sokolov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Member of the Editorial Board of journal “Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery” celebrates his 60-year jubilee. The leading area of his scientific interest is minimally invasive surgery of malformations in the thoracic and abdominal cavities in children. Prof. Sokolov has conducted on-site master classes on pediatric endosurgery more than 50 times in various Russian cities and neighboring foreign countries. He was the first in Russia to perform laparoscopic (in 2005) and robot-assisted (in 2021) extirpation of a cyst in the common bile duct in a child.

The Top Ranked 101 Articles in Pediatric Surgical Journals from an Altmetric Perspective.

In the era of scientific digitalization, online media platforms gain increasing popularity to accomplish research output awareness. The Altmetric Attention Score AAS weights these online mentions based on a privy algorithm. We aimed to characterize the top 100 articles with the highest (AAS) published in pediatric surgery journals. Publications from six core pediatric surgery journals were retrieved from www.altmetric.com in January 2023 and ranked by their AAS. The top 101 publications were analyzed for their bibliometric measures, study design, and quality as well as online media mentions. The top 101 AAS articles were published between 1974 and 2022, preferentially from the United States (64%) and mainly in Journal of Pediatric Surgery (73%), followed by Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports, Pediatric Surgery International, Seminars in Pediatric Surgery, and European Journal of Pediatric Surgery. Their AAS ranged between 21 and 389 (median: 33), with Twitter/X being mostly responsible for online mentions (n = 2,189; 75%). The number of citations in peer-reviewed journals ranged between 0 and 358 (median: 16) and did not correlate to AAS. Retrospective study design (33%) with low evidence level IV (43%) dominated. The Journal of Pediatric Surgery is the main source of high-profile AAS publications in pediatric surgery. The altmetric popularity of articles is predominantly achieved by their propagation via X, irrespective of the study quality and recognition in the scientific community. Thus, active "twitterism" may play the key role to reach high AAS scores.

Comment on: Laparoscopic access in the treatment of palpable cryptorchidism (review)

In issue #1 of volume 28 (2024) of the "Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery" journal, an international team of authors published the scientific review "Laparoscopic access in the treatment of palpable cryptorchidism (review)" (DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/ps667). The article analyzed international publications with the results of using laparoscopic access for orchiopexy of palpable testicles. Unfortunately, in all the articles mentioned in the review the follow-up period was 12–18 months. In addition, there is no assessment of gonads state before descending in the analysed articles. It seems that a mechanistic approach was chosen: they used laparoscopic access, mobilised the testis, performed orchiopexy, made sure that there was no atrophy or retention, and assessed the result as positive. This is not sufficient to analyse and objectively evaluate the proposed method in a statistically valid manner. When choosing an orchiopexy method, it is necessary to be guided by reliable long-term results and try not to contrast traditional orchiopexy methods with laparoscopic methods.

Scientific Output by Latin American Women in Pediatric Surgical Sciences Over the Past 11 Years: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis

IntroductionThis academic article discusses the historical underrepresentation of female in science, with a focus on Latin America. It highlights the importance of both technical and non-technical skills in the medical-surgical field, particularly the role of research skills. The study aims to quantify and characterize the scientific output of Latin American female researchers over the past decade, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities in low and middle-income countries. Material and methodsA retrospective cross-sectional bibliometric study was conducted in 2023, focusing on pediatric surgical science journals in Scopus and PubMed. It assessed Latin American female participation, journal details, and interaction networks, using SPSS and Gephi software. The period analyzed was from January 2012 to December 2022. ResultsBetween 2012 and 2022, 727 articles with Latin authorship in pediatric surgery were analyzed across 304 journals. Of these, 63.69% had female co-authors. The majority were original articles (53.13%), with contributions from Brazil, Mexico, and Chile. Notable journals included the Journal of Pediatric Surgery and Child's Nervous System. Keywords like Laparoscopy and Cardiac surgery were common. A growth trend in female Latin American publications was observed, despite temporary declines. ConclusionsThis study highlights a growing trend in Latin American females' scientific contributions to pediatric surgery from 2012 to 2022, although a gender gap persists. The research mainly consists of primary data studies, with a focus on Brazil and Mexico from public institutions. The Journal of Pediatric Surgery featured prominently, and common topics included Laparoscopy, Cardiac surgery, Liver transplant, Congenital heart defects, and COVID-19. Level of EvidenceIV.

Commentary on “Robot-assisted transposition of aberrant lower polar renal vessels in a 14-year-old child with vasorenal hydrophnerosis”

This is a commentary on the article by Kozlov Yu. A., Poloyan S.S., Sapukhin E.V., Strashinsky A.S., Makarochkina M.V., Marchuk A.A., Rozhansky A.P., Byrgazov A.A., titled, “Robot-assisted transposition of aberrant lower polar renal vessels in a 14-year-old child with vasorenal hydrophnerosis.” It was published in the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2023;13(4):565–575. (In Russ.) DOI: 10.17816/psaic1544

The future of pediatric enhanced recovery after surgery is bright!

There is an abundance of data for the use of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols (ERPs) in the adult literature. These ERPs are not used only to expedite discharge after surgery, but to optimize patients before surgery, standardize their care during surgery, and shorten the time to full post-operative recovery. However, the use of ERPs in pediatric surgery has lagged behind adult surgeons. This is primarily due to specific challenges in pediatric surgery including a lack of consensus guidelines, data to support their use, and the belief that many of the principles are already followed. Early champions of ERPs have demonstrated their utility and effectiveness in children. This special issue of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery – Open highlights the current state and future of ERPs in children. The contributing authors demonstrate that the future of pediatric ERPs is very bright and will ultimately lead to better recovery for our patients.

Kimura extrathoracic esophageal elongation for the treatment of complex esophageal atresia: Primary versus secondary treatment when other strategies failed

IntroductionThe Kimura´s extrathoracic esophageal elongation (KEEE) procedure uses upper esophageal pouch traction to induce its growth, as an alternative to repair long gap esophageal atresia (LGEA). It can be used as a first option in the neonatal period (primary Kimura) or as a rescue procedure when another strategy fails (secondary Kimura).The aim of our study is to compare the results of the primary versus secondary Kimura procedure after unsuccessful Puri procedure or end-to-end esophageal anastomosis. MethodsThe present work is a retrospective review of patients with complex esophageal atresia (CEA) who underwent Kimura procedure at our institution from 1997 to 2021. We divided the patients into two groups, primary group: patients who underwent primary Kimura extrathoracic esophageal elongation (KEEE), esophagostomized in the first surgical intervention; and secondary group: those who underwent secondary KEEE, esophagostomized due to complications of the primary end-to-end anastomosis (EEA), or due to failure of preservation of native esophagus (PNE) techniques. Demographic variables (gestational age, birth weight, type of esophageal atresia (EA) and associated malformations) and evolution variables related to the elongations and reconstruction (days of mechanical ventilation (MV), days of hospitalization and complications of the anastomosis, feeding/oral aversion, need for nutritional support, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and mortality) were evaluated. ResultsDuring the 24-year period, 31 patients were evaluated, nine patients belonged to the primary group (of which 7 were reconstructed) and the remaining twenty-two to the secondary group (of which 12 completed the procedure).Regarding demographic variables, there was a statistical difference in gestational age (p = 0.016). Regarding the variables associated with the elongations, there was a statistically significant lower number of elongations (p = 0.0547), longer hospitalization time (p = 0.045) and more complications (p = 0.027) for the secondary group. Regarding the final reconstruction, the primary group had a significantly shorter postoperative hospital stay (p = 0.03), and also fewer days on MV, although these variables did not reach a statistically significant difference.Two patients died before the final reconstruction (one from each group). DiscussionWe believe that KEEE is a useful tool for both primary treatment and rescue in case of failure of other esophageal preservation strategies. In addition, it allows preserving the native esophagus and also performing esophageal replacement strategies with other organs if it fails. Level of evidenceAccording to the Journal of Pediatric Surgery this research corresponds to type of study level III for retrospective comparative study.

Commentary on the article «Debatable problems of classification of modern hematogenous osteomyelitis in childre»

Commentary on the article A.S. Safarov, A.M. Sharipov, B.A. Safarov, A.T. Korokhonov entitled Debatable problems of classification of modern hematogenous osteomyelitis in childre published in the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2023;13(2):257-266. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/psaic1290

Teratomas from past to the present: A scientometric analysis with global productivity and research trends between 1980 and 2022.

There is currently no bibliometric study on teratomas in the literature. This study aims to analyze the published articles on teratomas to provide an overview of the subject, determine global productivity, and identify current research trends. Additionally, data on different components of scientific output (countries, journals, institutions, authors) were analyzed. A total of 4209 articles published on teratomas between 1980 and 2022 were analyzed using various bibliometric and statistical methods. Bibliometric network visualization maps were used to determine trending topics, citation analyses, and international collaborations. Spearman correlation coefficient was used for correlation analysis. The top 3 countries that made the most contributions to the literature were the USA (1041, 24.7%), Japan (501, 11.9%), and India (310, 7.3%). The top 3 active institutions were the University of California System (n = 78), University of London (64), and Harvard University (62). The top 3 productive journals were the Journal of Pediatric Surgery (n = 141), Pediatric Surgery International (n = 70), and Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports (69). The most productive author was Ulbright TM. (n = 18). The most studied topics from past to present were ovarian cancer/ovarian teratoma/ovarian torsion, mature cystic teratoma/dermoid cyst, sacrococcygeal teratoma, germ cell tumors, immature teratoma, malignant transformation, mediastinal teratoma/mediastinum, neonate/newborn/infant, prenatal diagnosis, testis/testicular cancer/teratoma, ultrasonography/ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, chemotherapy, growing teratoma syndrome, surgery, retroperitoneal teratoma/retroperitoneum, laparoscopic surgery/laparoscopy, children/child, and fetal surgery/fetus. We identified trend research topics in the field of teratomas in recent years, including mature cystic teratoma, ovarian teratoma/neoplasm, ovarian cancer, ovarian torsion, growing teratoma syndrome, recurrence, pediatric, testicular cancer, anti-n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis, immature teratoma, retroperitoneal, struma ovarii, and carcinoid. The research leadership in the development of teratoma literature was determined by countries with major economies such as the USA, Japan, India, the UK, China, Turkey, South Korea, and other European countries (France, Germany, Italy).

Commentary on the article “Primary intestinal anastomosis in a child with perforation of Meckel's diverticulum and peritonitis”

Commentary on the article Morozov KD, Sharkov SM, Kozlov MYu, Mordvin PA, Ayrapetyan MI, Morozov DA Primary intestinal anastomosis in a child with perforation of Meckels diverticulum and peritonitis published in the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2023;13(1):105112. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/psaic1498&#x0D; After reading the article under discussion, serious doubts were raised about the presence of diffuse peritonitis (there was no typical response of the body to a severe inflammatory process in the abdominal cavity), and the mild course of diffuse peritonitis in surgical practice is unknown. Primary intestinal anastomosis in peritonitis cannot be recommended for pediatric surgeons to present its wide introduction in clinical practice.

Commentary on the article “Primary intestinal anastomosis in a child with perforation of Meckel's diverticulum and peritonitis”

Commentary on the article Morozov KD, Sharkov SM, Kozlov MYu, Mordvin PA, Ayrapetyan MI, Morozov DA Primary intestinal anastomosis in a child with perforation of Meckels diverticulum and peritonitis published in the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2023;13(1):105112. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/psaic1498&#x0D; Performing a primary anastomosis in a child with Meckels gangrenous-perforative diverticulitis in the presence of peritonitis may be the operation of choice only in the early stages of the development of peritonitis.

Research and Publication Trends in Pediatric Surgery in Latin America: A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis from 2012 to 2021

IntroductionPediatric surgery is a developing specialty with increasing volume in Latin America. However, the research and scientific activity trends carried out in this region in recent years are unknown. This study aimed to analyze and visualize Latin American research in pediatric surgery from 2012 to 2021. Material and methodsBibliometric cross-sectional study of scientific articles on pediatric surgery published by Latin American authors from 2012 to 2021 in Scopus was performed. Statistical and visual analysis was performed with R programming language and VOS viewer. Results449 articles were found. Observational studies (44.7%; n = 201), case reports (20.4%; n = 92) and narrative reviews (11.4%; n = 51) were found to be the most common study designs. The published articles were predominantly monocentric (73.1%; n = 328), only 17% (n = 76) involved authors from 2 or more countries, and mostly there was no collaboration with high-income countries (80.6%; n = 362). The Journal of Pediatric Surgery was the journal with the highest volume of articles published (n = 37). The most used terms were Laparoscopy, Complications, and Liver Transplantation, and the countries with the highest number of articles published were Brazil and Argentina. ConclusionsThis study found a progressive increase in the scientific activity of Latin authors in pediatric surgery from 2012 to 2021. The evidence produced was mainly from observational studies and case reports, predominantly conducted in Brazil. Multinational and international collaboration was low; the most frequent topics of interest were laparoscopy and minimally invasive surgery. Levels of EvidenceIV.

Commentary on the article "Chronic obstruction of the stomach as a result of congenital malformation in a child of 1.10 months. Case report"

Commentary on the article Schneider IS, Tsap NA, Gaydysheva EV, Timoshinov MYu, Ekimov MN, Smirnova SE. Chronic obstruction of the stomach as a result of congenital malformation in a child of 1.10 months. Case report published in the Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2022;12(4):513520. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/psaic1283

European Pediatric Surgical Association (EUPSA).

The Editorial Board of the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery is very pleased to release the EUPSA Issue 2023, which again contains excellent articles. The paper has been presented at the European Congress of Pediatric Surgery which took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, from June 30, 2022, to July 2, 2022. The European Congress of Pediatric Surgery was a great success, and the papers were discussed extensively by our many enthusiastic pediatric surgical communities.

In a Setting of Esophageal Replacement, Total Gastric Pull-Up has Fewer Complications than Partial Gastric Pull-Up

AimThe main indications for an esophageal replacement (ER) are unresolved complex esophageal atresia (EA) and caustic strictures (CS). The use of different organs for replacement has been described. When the stomach is chosen, there are two ways to do a gastric pull-up: a partial (PGP) or a total pull-up (TGP). Few studies have been published comparing the different techniques. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of patients who underwent ER by PGP or by TGT. MethodsThe medical records of all patients who underwent gastric pull-up for ER in the last 18 years at the National Pediatric Hospital Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan were reviewed. The study is comparative, retro-prospective and longitudinal. Patients were divided in two groups according to the ER technique (PGP or TGP). We compared the following outcomes: duration of the operation, days of hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU), days of total hospitalization, time to initiation of oral feedings and rate of anastomosis dehiscence, incidence of anastomotic stenosis, need for re-operations, incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), incidence of tracheo-esophageal fistulas (TEF), incidence of dumping syndrome, incidence of gastric necrosis and mortality. ResultsThere were 92 patients included in the study: 70 in the PGP group (76%) and 26 in the TGP group (24%). The two groups were demographically equivalent. Patients in the TGP group had a statistically significant lower incidence of anastomotic dehiscence (22,7% versus 54,3%; p = 0.01) and dumping syndrome (13,6% versus 37,1%; p = 0.038). Patients in the TGP had lower incidence of anastomotic stenosis, although the difference was not statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of duration of the operation, postoperative days in the ICU, time to oral feedings, GERD, TEF or overall hospital stay. There were no cases of gastric necrosis. There were 3 deaths in the PGP group and one in the TGP group. ConclusionsWe observed benefits in the TGP group versus the PGP approach in terms of anastomotic dehiscence and dumping syndrome, as well as a trend toward a lower incidence of anastomotic stenosis. Based on this experience, we recommend the TGP approach for patients who need an esophageal replacement by a gastric pull-up. Levels of evidenceAccording to the Journal of Pediatric Surgery this research corresponds to type of study level III for retrospective comparative study.

To the 75th anniversary of Vladimir I. Petlakh

The paper describes the professional activities and merits of the pediatric surgeon, science editor of Russian Journal of Pediatric Surgery, Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Vladimir I. Petlakh in celebration of his anniversary.