Abstract Purpose: Paediatric hydatid disease is currently a major public health concern in many parts of the world, and its management in children requires a multidisciplinary approach encompassing both medical and surgical strategies, including minimally invasive techniques like laparoscopy. Materials and Methods: Prospective observational descriptive study involving 30 children aged between 2 years and 18 years who underwent laparoscopic treatment for hepatic cystic hydatid disease after evaluation by clinical examination, sonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography, conducted over a period of 18 months from January 2023 to June 2024, with 6 months postoperative (PO) follow-up period at our institute. Results: Mean operative time was 78.9 ± 14.6 min, with most procedures completed within 60–90 min. Most patients resumed normal activity within 7 days (80%). PO analgesia requirement was moderate, with most requiring two to four doses postoperatively. No major intraoperative complications were reported. Minor PO issues included nausea (two patients), vomiting (one patient) and fever (two patients). Late complications were minimal, with residual cavities in six patients during the early PO period, which decreased in size on serial sonographs during follow-up period, and one case of port site hernia managed by tissue repair under local anaesthesia. Conclusion: Laparoscopic treatment of paediatric hepatic cystic hydatid disease can be considered a safe and feasible procedure with less morbidity, complications, shorter hospital stay and cosmetically appealing scar but requires studies with a larger number of cases and longer duration of follow-up period for recurrences.
Bhau et al. (2026) studied this question.