The Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja reported on Apr. 9 that the first baby to undergo laparoscopic surgery for a giant abdominal tumor continues to recover successfully, nearly eleven months after the procedure.
This case is significant because it involved treating a newborn with a large abdominal tumor using laparoscopic surgery, which avoids deep incisions and marks an important milestone in pediatric medicine in Peru.
Valentina A. H. Q., the infant patient, was diagnosed with a choledochal cyst—a rare congenital malformation that had already begun affecting her liver and is usually treated with open surgery. Pediatric surgeon Katherine Valeriano Palomino from the Sub Unit of Neonatal and Pediatric Surgery at INSN SB said that despite the complexity of the case, “a minimally invasive approach was chosen, which represented a great surgical challenge.” She explained that this innovative technique eliminated the tumor while avoiding postoperative pain and complications such as cholangitis, cyst rupture, or hepatic cirrhosis.
Valeriano Palomino also said that this approach allowed for rapid recovery and early feeding for Valentina. The treatment was covered by Seguro Integral de Salud (SIS) and resulted from technological innovation, ongoing training, and commitment to providing complex care to young patients.
Although choledochal cysts are often benign and asymptomatic in many cases, prenatal diagnosis is crucial for timely intervention since delayed treatment can lead to progressive liver damage or neoplastic processes. The hospital noted that Valentina’s case sets an important precedent by demonstrating that minimally invasive procedures can be performed successfully even in very low-weight patients.
