Laparoscopic approach for malrotation has become more popular for neonates and in cases with volvulus, but its safety and efficacy remains controversial. This study reviewed laparoscopy outcomes in neonate/infant malrotation.

Medline/PubMed and Lilacs databases were reviewed. Data from studies published in English/Spanish between 1995 and 2019 were collected. Results are presented as percentages and means/medians; logistic regression was used to study possible associations.

Nineteen papers offered 99 neonates/infants with median age and weight of 10.5 days and 3.5 kg, respectively. Ladd's procedure was performed in 95 (96%) patients and bands' division in 4 (4%); appendectomy was not included in 16 (16.2%) patients, and cecopexy was not performed in all cases. Volvulus was reported in 39 (39.4%) patients. There were 11 conversions (11.1%) and 10 recurrences of symptoms (10.1%) that required reintervention. An association was found between volvulus and recurrence (P = .05) and the need for conversion (P < .01). There were 10 (10.1%) minor complications and no mortality. The median follow-up was 10 months.

Laparoscopic approach to malrotation is feasible and safe in hemodynamically stable neonates/infants without intestinal necrosis and is associated with 11% conversion rate and 10% reinterventions. The presence of volvulus is associated with recurrence and conversion. Laparoscopic Ladd's procedure with appendectomy and without cecopexy is the commonly practiced approach that is associated with minor complications.

Malrotation of the midgut is generally considered as a pediatric pathology with the majority of patients presenting in childhood. The diagnosis is rare in adults, which sometimes leads to delay in diagnosis and treatment. An index of suspicion is therefore required when dealing with patients of any age group with abdominal symptoms. We present a case of a 26-year-old male who presented with left lower abdominal pain with preoperative computed tomography showing suspected left-sided appendicitis associated with midgut malrotation. The duodenum, small bowel, and cecum were abnormally located, with the presence of a thickened and inflamed appendix with fecalith images. The patient underwent an emergency laparotomy, and ruptured cecal diverticulitis with abscess formation was confirmed. We performed a cecectomy, and the patient did not have an uneventful postoperative recovery. A review of the literature is presented to highlight the rarity of midgut malrotation and the controversies surrounding its surgical management in the adult population with ruptured left-sided cecal diverticulitis.

Intestinal obstruction is a common complication after Ladd procedure. Ninety-three cases who had undergone the Ladd procedure between 1977 and 2013 treated at our own institution were retrospectively reviewed to identify the causes and risk factors for intestinal obstruction. The Ladd procedure has been performed without any intestinal fixing. Of the 87 cases who survived to discharge, intestinal obstruction was observed in 22 (25.3%). Among the cases with intestinal obstruction, 13 (59.1%) showed intestinal ischemia at the initial operation; this incidence was notably high, although it is low when only those cases with another concurrent surgical digestive disease are considered. All cases of intestinal obstruction were caused not by recurrent volvulus, but by adhesion between the intestine and the mesentery. Intestinal fixing is not required to prevent recurrent volvulus, but it is important to achieve adequate widening of the mesenteric base. The risk of intestinal obstruction after the Ladd procedure, on the other hand, is high. Moreover, patients with intestinal ischemia have an increased risk of intestinal obstruction.

Obstructive symptoms in a patient post-Ladd procedure raise the question of recurrent volvulus. Our objective is to determine the incidence and the radiographical evaluation of recurrent volvulus and abdominal complications after a Ladd procedure.

One hundred ninety-five patients who underwent a Ladd procedure for malrotation for 10 years were retrieved from a database. Forty-eight patients were excluded (false-positive studies, heterotaxy, diaphragmatic hernia, abdominal wall defects). Of the remaining 147, 38 patients presented with abdominal symptoms. Surgical records and imaging were reviewed.

Of 38 patients, 33 had imaging studies including abdominal radiographs (AXR) and/or upper gastrointestinal examinations. Of these 33 patients, 17 had normal or expected imaging findings on AXR and/or upper gastrointestinal. Of the 11 patients who had surgery, 8 had an AXR. Of these, only a single patient had a normal AXR. The most common post-Ladd complication found at reoperation was small bowel obstruction secondary to adhesions (5.4%). One patient (0.7%) had midgut volvulus.

Although recurrent volvulus is a feared postoperative Ladd complication, it rarely occurs. Adhesive small bowel obstruction is more common, and an AXR with clinical findings is sufficient for diagnosis.

Intestinal malrotation associated with a volvulus requires immediate surgical intervention. The long-term sequelae of Ladd's procedure and its complications are not well defined. We designed this study to investigate the long-term complications following operative intervention for intestinal malrotation. Patients who have undergone a Ladd's procedure for malrotation from January 1999 till December 2008, from two tertiary centres, were identified using the Hospital Inpatient Enquiry system. Charts were analysed to obtain information about mode of presentation, method of diagnosis and postoperative outcomes. Patients were contacted for follow-up. One hundred and sixty-one patients were identified over the 10-year period with a postoperative follow-up time ranging from 2 months to 10 years. The median age at surgery was 9 days (1 day-12 years); 38 (23%) underwent elective Ladd's procedure for malrotation. Thirty-eight patients had intraoperative incidental findings of a malrotation during different procedures; 120 (74.5%) patients were performed as an emergency procedure. Fourteen patients (8.7%) developed complications following surgery. Nine patients developed adhesive small bowel obstruction, five required operative adhesiolysis having failed conservative treatment. There was one case of recurrent volvulus and three mortalities in our series. In our experience, looking at 161 patients with a mean follow-up of 5 years Ladd's procedure has a low postoperative morbidity and remains a vital treatment for malrotation in children.