Laparoscopic fundoplication in children with ventriculo-peritoneal shunts.

Abstract Background: Children with ventriculo-peritoneal (V-P) shunts have a significant risk of morbidity and mortality from infections. Many of these patients have other co-morbidities and may require subsequent abdominal surgery, including fundoplication with or without gastrostomy placement. The aim of our study was to assess the outcomes of laparoscopic fundoplication in children with a V-P shunt in situ. Subjects and Methods: A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database on children who underwent laparoscopic fundoplication with a V-P shunt in situ at the time of surgery between July 1998 and March 2011 was conducted. Primary outcomes included intra- and postoperative complications as well as shunt-related problems within a 6-month period after surgery. The subset of children with V-P shunts was compared with those who underwent fundoplication without shunts. Variables were compared using the two-tailed Student's t test, chi-squared test, or Fisher's exact test. Significance was defi...