Aim: To assess the results of primary posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) in male neonates with high anorectal malformations (ARM) who on invertogram showed well descended rectum. Materials and Methods: Twelve full-term male neonates with high ARM over a period of one and half years were selected for primary PSARP based on the findings of invertogram. Primary PSARP was performed in all neonates with lower limit of rectal gas bubble at or below the ossified fifth sacral vertebra. The patients were followed-up for a period between three to four and half years. The clinical evaluation of fecal continence was performed using Pena's criteria for assessment of continence. Results: All neonates underwent PSARP on second to fourth postnatal day. The fistula with urinary tract was found in 11 patients (seven had fistula to bulbar urethra and four to prostatic urethra). Rectal tapering was not required in any neonate. No patient had urinary problems after removal of catheter. Most of the neonates were discharged by ninth day. Postoperatively, two patients had superficial wound infection of anoplasty without any disruption or bowel retraction. Two patients had severe perianal excoriation. No patient had anorectal stenosis. Nine of twelve patients on follow-up had good voluntary bowel movements. Of the three patients who had grade I soiling two had recto-prostatic urethral fistula. No patient had constipation. All patients had good urinary stream. Conclusions: Repair of high ARM in male neonates with a well descended rectum is feasible without significant morbidity and good continence.

Aims: To evaluate the usefulness of intravesical pressure as a prognostic indicator in congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Material and Methods: In 25 cases, bladder pressure was measured intraoperatively during repair. Results: Cases were divided into three groups according to the intravesical pressure. Group 1: pressure <10 cm (n.9), Group 2: 10-15 cm (n.11) and Group 3: >15 cm (n.5). Number of ventilated days was tabulated against these groups. Median number of ventilated days for Group 1, with the lowest pressure, was 3 days, while that for Group 2 was 5 and for Group 3, with the highest pressure, was 10 days. This was significant, with a P-value of 0.016. Conclusion: Measurement of intravesical pressure is a reliable prognostic indicator in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. It also helps in predicting postoperative ventilatory requirement.

Objective: To evaluate our preliminary experience with interventional sialendoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP). Materials and Methods: Three consecutive pediatric patients with JRP who underwent interventional sialendoscopy were identified. Interventional sialendoscopy consisted of serial dilation of the Stenson's duct, endoscopy of the ductal system and saline irrigation followed by instillation of triamcinolone acetate. Clinical, demographic, procedure-related data and complications were documented. End points of the study were technical success, defined as completion of the procedure, subjective improvement in symptoms as indicated by the patients or their parents and assessment of safety in terms of complications. Results: Three male patients with a mean age of 9 years (range 6-11 years) underwent interventional sialendoscopy for JRP. Endoscopic findings included a blanched stenotic duct with intraductal debris in those who were symptomatic. Technical success was 100%. The mean number of episodes of JRP in the year prior to presenting to our service among the three patients was 5 (range 4-6 per year). There were no new episodes of JRP reported at the last follow-up. There were no major complications. Conclusion: Our preliminary experience concurs with the current literature and suggests that interventional sialendoscopy is effective for the management of JRP and can be considered for patients who fail conservative medical management.

Aim: To study the gastric emptying 30 days after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (NF) in gastroesophageal reflux. Materials and Methods: Three patients were evaluated with ¹³ C-acetate breath test (ABT) performed pre and post-NF. The liquid test meal consisted of Racol ^TM mixed with ¹³ C-acetate. Results: In the patient without neurological impairment (NI), the preoperative t _1/2 ex and t lag were 0.900 and 0.510 hours, respectively. The postoperative t _1/2 ex and t lag were 0.959 and 0.586 hours, respectively. In one patient with NI, the preoperative t _1/2 ex and t lag were 1.828 and 1.092 hours, respectively. The postoperative t _1/2 ex and t lag were 2.081 and 1.025 hours, respectively. In the other patient with NI, the preoperative t _1/2 ex and t lag were 2.110 and 0.980 hours, respectively. The postoperative t _1/2 ex and t lag were 1.118 and 0.415 hours, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ¹³ C-ABT parameters did not worsen in any of the children after laparoscopic NF.

Aims: Scrotal fixation (SF) is a known technique for the management of low undescended testes (UDT). SF assumes that most low UDT have no patent processus vaginalis (PPV) and can be managed via scrotal mobilization alone. We report our experience of the role of SF in the management of low UDT. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all palpable UDT operated on by the senior author between 1998 and 2008 was undertaken. Children diagnosed with palpable UDT were examined under general anesthesia; if the whole testis could be manipulated into the upper part of the scrotum, low UDT was assumed and SF was performed. Attempts to identify a PPV intraoperatively were made in all and, if found, the procedure was converted to standard inguinal incision orchidopexy. Results: One hundred and thirteen children with 134 UDT were identified. SF was performed in 55 testes; inguinal orchidopexy (IO) in 75 and four testes were excised. The median (IQR) age at SF was 5.5 [4.7-6.3] years. Three SF were converted to an IO when a PPV was discovered. The complications in SF were scrotal hematoma (n = 1) and superficial wound infection (n = 1). No post-operative herniae or atrophied testis were seen and none required a redo operation. The mean (SD) operative times for SF and IO were 29.5 (18.1) and 42.7 (16.6) min, respectively (P = 0.04). Conclusion: In our study, 52 of 55 (94.5%) patients with low UDT lacked a hernial sac and were successfully fixed by SF. SF is a viable, simple, quick and safe alternative to IO in the management of low UDT.

Objective: To study the incidence of immediate complications associated with percutaneous central venous catheterization. Materials and Methods: A total of 103 central venous catheters were inserted in 70 children over a period of 18 months, governed by a uniform protocol. Sixty-three percent of the catheters were inserted in neonates, 23.3% in infants and 13.6% in children between 1 and 12 years of age. Statistical Analysis Used: Software SPSS version 15. Results: There were a total of 41 insertion-related immediate complications, of which 75.6% were in neonates. Neonatal age, hemodynamic instability and more number of attempts to catheterize the vein had a higher risk of insertion-related problems. There was no mortality directly as a result of the procedure. Conclusion: In our practice, it was observed that complications were fewer with increasing familiarity with the procedure. Hence, percutaneous central venous catheterization is a safe procedure when performed in experienced hands.

We report three infants who presented with acute gastric volvulus and recovered initially after de-torsion, but later presented with sequelae due to ischemia of gastroesophageal junction, stomach and gastroduodenal junction. The first two infants could not be fed orally or by gastrostomy tube because of microgastria and stricture of the lower esophagus and gastroduodenal junction, and were managed on jejunostomy feeds, while the third child was managed on gastrostomy feeds till the gastric substitution surgery. The first case was treated nonsurgically with repeated dilatations, but ultimately succumbed to sepsis and malnutrition. In the second child, attempted dilatation resulted in esophageal perforation and she was reconstructed using ileocecal segment as a substitute for stomach and lower esophagus, and has done well. The third child was managed surgically by the Hunt Lawrence J pouch as stomach substitute and has also done well.

A juxtaglomerular cell tumor or reninoma is a very rare renin-secreting tumor of the kidney and can be an unusual cause of secondary hypertension. We report a case of recurrence of this uncommon tumor at the hilum of left kidney in an 8-year-old male child.

An intraperitoneal leech, which entered through vagina and uterus in a 2-year-old girl is reported. The child presented with intraperitoneal hemorrhage and shock. A leech inside the peritoneal cavity has never been reported in the literature.

We report a novel surgical technique for correction of dorsal chordee with coronal hypospadias. The bulbar elongation and anastomotic meatoplasty procedure gave an excellent cosmetic and functional outcome.

Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) is a rare cause of ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome and has characteristic gross and microscopic pathologic findings. We report a case of PPNAD in a 15-year-old boy, which was not associated with Carney's complex. Bilateral adrenalectomy is the treatment of choice.

We are reporting a newborn male who had injury of the penis probably due to rat bite. The baby was brought to the hospital within 3 h of the injury. The urethra was completely transected. Macroscopic repair was performed. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged after 2 weeks. The patient is doing well 3 months after the operation.

We report a case of proximal hypospadias with an absent urethral plate having intact ventral shaft skin with hooded dorsal prepuce and a good glans groove. Such a variant of hypospadias has not been reported in the literature.

We report a case of persistent cloaca and type I congenital pouch colon associated with ileovesical and colovesical fistulae. Such a malformation has not been reported so far.

A case of accessory scrotum in a 2-day-old male infant is reported because of its rarity. An overview of sequences during the normal development of male external genitalia has been provided and the deranged mechanism resulting in this anomaly has been reviewed with hypotheses regarding etiology of accessory scrotum.

We report two children with Amyand's hernia, where the appendices along with caecum were found within the left hernial sac, which were operated for obstructed inguinal hernia.