Laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy can be a standard surgical procedure for treatment of biliary atresia

BACKGROUND: Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare pediatric disease. AIM: To compare the outcomes of laparoscopic portoenterostomy (Lap-PE) with those of laparotomy (Open-PE) at a single institution. METHODS: The surgical outcomes of PE were retrospectively analyzed for patients with a non-correctable type of BA from 2003 to 2020. RESULTS: Throughout the assessment period, 119 patients received PE for BA treatment, including 66 Open-PE and 53 Lap-PE cases. Although the operation duration was longer (medians: for Open-PE, 242 min; for Lap-PE, 341 min; P < 0.001), blood loss was considerably less (medians: for Open-PE, 52 mL; for Lap-PE, 24 mL; P < 0.001) in the Lap-PE group than in the Open-PE group. The postoperative recovery of the Lap-PE group was more favorable; specifically, both times to resume oral intake and drain removal were significantly shorter in the Lap-PE group. Complete resolution of jaundice was observed in 45 Open-PE cases and 42 Lap-PE cases, with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.176). Native liver survival rates were >80% for both groups for the first half year post surgery, followed by a gradual decrease with time; there were no statistically significant differences in the native liver survival rates for any durations assessed. CONCLUSION: Lap-PE could be a standard therapy for BA.