A maneuver for successful anastomosis without haptic feedback during da Vinci robotic surgery: Hepaticojejunostomy for choledochal cyst in children

Aim In children with choledochal cyst (CC), the diameter at the hepaticojejunostomy anastomosis (HJA) is usually less than 10 mm. The da Vinci surgical system (dV) has been used successfully for treating CC in children, but lack of haptic feedback can hinder suturing at times. We describe a simple maneuver that allows dV-assisted HJA (dV-HJA) to be completed successfully without haptic feedback. Methods The maneuver involves placing the final three 5/0 or 6/0 absorbable sutures between the incision in the Roux-loop jejunum and the common hepatic duct for closing the anterior wall, without tying any of them. Only after all sutures have been placed, they are tied. The tie should never be performed before all the sutures have been placed, because if any one of the last 3 sutures is tied prior the others being placed, the surgeon will not be able to “see” where to place the subsequent suture. Even the smallest HJA should be possible to be completed confidently using this maneuver. Results We treated 13 consecutive children with CC during a recent 3-year period using this maneuver during dV-HJA. Mean age at surgery: 5.8 years (range 1.8–11.2 years); mean weight at surgery: 18.5 kg (range 9.4–35.6 kg). Mean HJA diameter was 7.9 ± 3.2 mm (range 4–15 mm). All HJA were performed successfully with no reports of anastomotic leakage or anastomotic stenosis after a mean follow-up of 22 months (range 4–34 months). Conclusions The described maneuver provides the surgeon with visual cues to complete suturing successfully and confidently when haptic feedback is lacking.