To explore the clinical characteristics, safety and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery for newborns and young infants with congenital cystic dilatation.

Ninety patients were enrolled in this study and divided into 4 subgroups according to age at surgery (20 patients in the <1 month group, 29 in the 1-2 months group, 18 in the 2-3 months group and 23 in the >3 months group). Preoperative information was collected and compared among subage groups to explore the clinical characteristics. Additionally, 90 patients were divided into a laparoscopic group (n=47) and an open group (n=43) to compare the postoperative recovery indices and the occurrence of complications to determine the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic application to CBD in neonates and young infants.

A total of 74.4% (67/90) of CBDs were diagnosed prenatally. There were significant differences in preoperative ALT levels, preoperative AST levels and preoperative aspartate aminotransferase platelet ratios index (APRI) among the subage groups (z=66.338, P<0.001; z=50.214, P<0.001; z=33.680, P<0.001; z=13.708, P=0.003); however, these values of ALT and AST were significantly lower in the <1 month and 1-2 months groups than in the 2-3 months or >3 months group (Bonferroni corrected P values <0.05). The value of APRI in the 1-2 months group was lower than that in the 2-3 months or >3 months group (Bonferroni corrected P values <0.05).The initial oral feeding time, complete oral feeding time and postoperative hospitalization duration in the laparoscopic group were significantly shorter than those in the open group (z=-3.743, P<0.001; z=-2.186, P=0.029; z=-2.186, P=0.029). There were no significant differences in the rates of postoperative liver function improvement, anastomotic leakage or stenosis between the laparoscopic and open surgery groups (all P> 0.05).

CBD in newborns and young infants may usually be detected prenatally, and liver function and liver fibrosis may deteriorate after 2 months of age. In addition, laparoscopic surgery for CBD in newborns and young infants is safe and effective and can shorten the initial oral feeding time, complete the oral feeding time and prolong the postoperative hospital stay without increasing complications such as postoperative anastomotic leakage or stenosis.