Single-port laparoscopy-assisted surgery is being performed for various operations in pediatric patients recently. The aims of this study were to prove the safety and find well-matched indications of small bowel resection using single-site umbilical laparoscopic surgery (SSULS).

From 2011 to 2016, 29 pediatric patients underwent SSULS. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed.

A total of 29 patients were included and 30 SSULS were performed in this study. The mean age at operation was 5.7 years, and the mean weight was 21.9 kg. Meckel's diverticulum was the most common indication for SSULS, followed by small bowel intussusception due to leading point mass, small bowel duplication, and Crohn's disease. In most cases, estimated blood loss was negligible except in Crohn's disease with severe inflammation. While answering post-discharge questions about scars, most parents responded that they were satisfied with the postoperative wound.

SSULS is a useful operation to try even for surgeons who do not have advanced laparoscopic skills. Complication rates of single-port operations do not differ from those of conventional laparoscopic operations. Most lesions of the small bowel could be indications of SSULS. Careful attention is required when performing SSULS in patients with Crohn's disease.