Surgical Timing in Left Mild-to-Moderate Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Background: The optimal timing of surgery for left-sided mild-to-moderate congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) remains unknown. Objectives: To determine the optimal timing of surgery for left-sided mild-to-moderate CDH. Methods: Thirty newborns were randomly divided into emergency (EAR) and delayed (DEL) surgery groups. Thoracoscopic repair of CDH was performed within 48 hours after birth in the EAR group and then in the DEL group. Next, the baseline data, primary and secondary endpoints, and adverse reactions were assessed. Results: Differences between the two groups were not significant in terms of the measured lung-to-head ratio (LHR), preoperative pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH)-free/mild PAH ratio, surgery duration, duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation, incidence of postoperative moderate-to-severe PAH, postoperative mortality, and recurrence rate in the follow-up (P > 0.05 for all). Meanwhile, age at surgery (P = 0.001), duration of fasting (P = 0.001), and hospital stay (P = 0.032) were significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions: Timing of thoracoscopy, performed within 85 hours of birth for left-sided CDH repair, does not affect the therapeutic outcomes of children with left-sided mild-to-moderate CDH.