Laparoscopic nephrectomy in childrenrid=""id=""Presented in poster format at the annual meeting of the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), San Antonio, Texas, USA, 24-27 March 1999

Background: Laparoscopic nephrectomy in the adult population is reported with increased frequency. We present our initial experience with laparoscopic nephrectomy in children. Methods: Over a 2-year period, 11 nephrectomies were performed in nine children aged 16 months to 16 years (mean, 6.5 years). All patients were referred due to complications of a nonfunctioning kidney. Seven patients had recurrent urinary tract infections, and two had refractory hypertension. Two patients underwent bilateral laparoscopic nephrectomy. The operation was performed using four access ports measuring 3.5 to 10 mm. Results: All kidneys were removed successfully using a laparoscopic technique. The average length of the operation was 163 min per kidney (range, 90-420). The estimated blood loss was