Early post-operative interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels after single-port laparoscopic varicocelectomy in children

• Published in: Pediatric surgery international 2012-03, Vol.28 (3), p.281-286
• Main Authors: Hao, Wei, Chan, Ivy H. Y., Liu, XueLai, Tang, Paula M. Y., Tam, Paul K. H., Wong, Kenneth K. Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biomarkers - blood; Child; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Equipment Design; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Interleukin-6 - blood; Laparoscopes; Laparoscopy - methods; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Article; Pediatric Surgery; Pediatrics; Postoperative Period; Prospective Studies; Stress, Physiological - physiology; Surgery; Time Factors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - blood; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male - instrumentation; Varicocele - blood; Varicocele - diagnosis; Varicocele - surgery
• ISSN: 0179-0358; 1437-9813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00383-011-3011-4

Purpose Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery has recently been described in children and regarded as an improved technology leading to less pain and better cosmetic outcome. Compared to the traditional three-port method, it is not known if the single-port method is less invasive. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the post-operative acute inflammatory response in order to evaluate surgical stress in the two surgical approaches in children. Methods A prospective, single blinded, case-control study was carried out. Thirteen male patients who presented with unilateral varicocele were divided into two groups. Six children underwent single-port laparoscopic procedure, while the other seven children underwent three-port laparoscopic procedure. Pre-operative and post-operative blood samples were taken for the measurement of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) using ELISA. Demographics including the operation time, and complications were recorded. Data between the two groups were analyzed using unpaired t -test and a p value of