Stealth surgery: Subcutaneous endoscopic excision of benign lesions of head, neck and trunk in children.

BACKGROUND: Subcutaneous endoscopic excision of benign lesions of the head, neck and trunk is a new dimension in paediatric minimally invasive surgery. This study is a case series where cases are operated endoscopically with minimal scars.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a prospective study where in 13 patients who underwent Stealth surgery were enrolled in this study. Factors such as intraoperative time, blood loss, intraoperative complications, postoperative recovery and appearance and placing of minimal scars at inconspicuous sites were taken into consideration.

RESULTS: All patients underwent successful surgery without converting to open surgery. Out of 13 patients, five were torticollis, four were suprasternal dermoid, one had chest wall swelling, one had swelling of arm, one had back lipoma and one had forehead lipoma. The mean operation time was 50 min (range 32-70). All patients were followed up regularly postoperatively. All patients were operated as daycare, less postoperative pain, no evident scars, lower complications related to scars.

CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous endoscopic surgery addresses concerns related to scarring by replacing large visible incisions with smaller incisions placed in inconspicuous locations. This is a safe and effective procedure of early recovery.