Surgical Emergencies in the Newborn 
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Pediatric Surgery Division 
Patty Lange
Emergencies 
    * Types
          o Airway/Respiratory
          o Intestinal Obstruction
          o Intestinal Perforation
    * Signs
          o Respiratory distress
          o Abdominal distension
          o Peritonitis
          o Pneumoperitoneum
Airway/Respiratory 
    * Neck Masses
    * Thoracic masses/pulmonary lesions
Cystic Hygroma 
    * Multiloculated cystic spaces lined by endothelial cells
    * Incidence about 1 in 12,000 births
    * Complications
    * Treatment
    * Postnatal overdistension of one or more lobes of histologically normal lung
    * Location
Congenital Lobar Emphysema 
    * Diagnosis
    * Treatment
Congenital Cystic Adenomatous Malformation (CCAM) 
    * Mass of cysts lined by ciliated cuboidal or columnar pseudostratified epithelium
    * Three types
    * More common on the left side, 2% bilateral
CCAM 
    * Diagnosis
    * Treatment
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia 
    * Intro
    * DX
    * Treatment
Tracheoesophageal Fistula and Esophageal Atresia
Intestinal Obstruction 
Anatomic Differentiation 
    * Upper GI
    * Lower GI
Anatomic Differentiation
Urgency to Treat 
    * Emergencies
    * Further workup
Common Disorders 
    * NEC
    * Duodenal Atresia
    * Small Bowel Atresia
    * Malrotation/Volvulus
    * Hirschsprung’s
    * Presentation
NEC Treatment 
    * Medical
    * Surgical indications
NEC Outcomes 
    * Overall survival ~ 80%, improving in LBW
    * In pts w/perforation, 65% perioperative mortality, no perf--30% mortality
    * 25% of Survivors develop stricture
    * 6% pts have recurrent NEC
    * Postop NEC--Myelomeningocele, Gastroschisis--45-65% mortality
Pneumatosis
Pneumoperitoneum
NEC--Abd Distension/Erythema
Necrotic Segment Ileum
Resection
Specimen--Ileocecectomy
Ileostomy
Common Disorders 
    * NEC
    * Duodenal Atresia
    * Small Bowel Atresia
    * Malrotation
    * Hirschsprung’s
Duodenal Atresia 
    * Incidence--1 in 5,000 to 10,000 live births
    * 75% of stenoses and 40% of atresias are found in Duodenum
    * Multiple atresias in 15% of cases
    * 50% pts are LBW and premature
    * Polyhydramnios in 75%
    * Bilious emesis usually present
    * Associated Anomalies
Duodenal Atresia Diagnosis 
    * Radiographs
    * Workup of potential associated anomalies
“Double Bubble”
Duodenal Atresia Treatment 
    * Nasogastric decompression, hydration
    * Surgery
Common Disorders 
    * NEC
    * Duodenal Atresia
    * Small Bowel Atresia
    * Malrotation
    * Hirschsprung’s
Small Bowel Atresia 
    * Jejunal is most common, about 1 per 2,000 live births
    * Atresia due to in-utero occlusion of all or part of the blood supply to the bowel
    * Classification--Types I-IV
    * Presents w/bilious emesis, abd distension, failure to pass meconium (70%)
Intestinal Atresia Classification
    * Associated Anomalies
          o other atresias
          o Hirschsprung’s
          o Biliary atresia
          o polysplenia syndrome (situs inversus, cardiac anomalies, atresias)
          o CF (10%)
Atresia--Diagnosis and Treatment 
    * Plain films show dilated loops small bowel
    * Contrast enema shows small unused colon
    * UGI/SBFT shows failure of contrast to pass beyond atretic point
    * Treatment is surgical
Common Disorders 
    * NEC
    * Duodenal Atresia
    * Small Bowel Atresia
    * Malrotation/Volvulus
    * Hirschsprung’s
Malrotation 
    * 1 per 6,000 live births
    * can be asymptomatic throughout life
    * Usually presents in first 6 months of life
    * 18% children w/short gut had malrotation with volvulus
    * Etiology
          o physiologic umbilical hernia--4th wk gestation
          o Reduction of hernia 10th - 12th wks of gestation
Normal Embryology
Malrotation Classification 
    * Nonrotation
    * Abn Rotation of Duodenojejunal limb
    * Abn rotation of Cecocolic limb
Abnormal Rotation/Fixation
Malrotation Diagnosis 
    * Varying symptoms from very mild to catastrophic
    * **Bilious emesis is Volvulus until proven otherwise**
    * Bilious emesis, bloody diarrhea, abd distension, lethargy, shock
    * UGI shows abnormal position of Duodenum
          o if Volvulus, see “bird’s beak” in duodenum
Malrotation UGI
Intraop Volvulus
Bowel Necrosis--Volvulus
Malrotation--Treatment 
    * Surgical--Ladd’s Procedure
Common Disorders 
Hirschsprung’s Disease 
    * Migratory failure of neural crest cells
    * Incidence 1 in 5,000 live births, males affected 4:1 over females
    * 90% of pts w/H’sprung’s fail to pass meconium in first 24-48 hrs
    * Abd distension, bilious emesis, obstructive enterocolitis
Hirschsprung’s Diagnosis 
    * Barium Enema
    * Anorectal Manometry
    * Rectal Biopsy
Transition Zone on BE
Hirschsprung’s Treatment 
Pull-Through Procedure
Summary 
    * BILIOUS EMESIS IS VOLVULUS UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE
    * Signs of surgical emergency
          o free air, abd wall cellulitis, fixed loop on xray, rapid distension, peritonitis, clinical deterioration
    * History and plain films will guide sequence of additional studies
    * Remember associated anomalies
Surgical Emergencies in the Newborn.ppt
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