To explore the safety and practicality of da Vinci robotic-assisted Swenson-like pull through for Hirschsprung disease in children less than 8 months old, as well as the treatment effects and complications.

The study focused on 40 pediatric patients with the common segment of Hirschsprung disease who were treated at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center. The operation was conducted by the same surgeon, utilizing da Vinci robotic-assisted Swenson-like pull through. Patients′ clinical data were collected before, during, and after surgery for analysis, and they were followed up on for 10-18 months after surgery.

All patients (30 males, 10 females), with a mean age of 6±2 months, successfully underwent the robotic-assisted Swenson-like procedure. The total operation time was 152±17 minutes on average, comprising 43±16 minutes for robotic operation, and 6±2 minutes for anal separation. The average intraoperative blood loss was 2±1ml. The average length of the resected intestine was 25±7 cm. The average recovery time for intestinal function was 8±2 hours. The average hospital stay was 6±1 days. The average score for postoperative pain was 2±1 points. 6 out of the 40 patients required anal dilatation after the surgery. A total of 40 patients were discharged after recovery with no perioperative issues. Additionally, perianal dermatitis (7.5%) and enterocolitis (7.5%) were the most common postoperative complications.

Da Vinci robotic-assisted Swenson-like pull through is suitable for the common segment of Hirschsprung disease in children under 8 months of age, and it has demonstrated satisfactory short-term outcomes.