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Children
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Innovations and Evolving Practices in General Paediatric Surgery
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Innovations and Evolving Practices in General Paediatric Surgery

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Surgery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 1962

Editors

Dr. Riccardo Coletta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139 Florence, Italy
Interests: Paediatric Surgery; Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery; Artificial Intelligence; Surgical Innovation; Gastrointestinal Surgery; Intestinal Failure
Dr. Andrea F. Conforti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Neonatal Surgery Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Piazza S Onofrio 4, 00165 Rome, Italy
Interests: newborn surgery; minimally invasive surgery; surgical innovation; thoracic surgery; malformation
Dr. Alessandro Raffaele

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pediatric Surgery Unit, Department of Maternal and Child Health, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Interests: paediatric surgery; minimally invasive and robotic surgery; artificial intelligence; surgical innovation; gastrointestinal surgery; 3D printed models for simulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

General paediatric surgery has undergone significant evolution over the past decades, integrating minimally invasive techniques, enhanced perioperative care, and precision-based strategies. A field that was once limited to open surgery is now increasingly complemented by laparoscopic, robotic, and image-guided approaches. Moreover, the emergence of multidisciplinary care, advances in neonatology, and improved understanding of rare paediatric diseases have reshaped the landscape of general paediatric surgery. As surgical indications and technologies evolve, so does the need to reassess outcomes, training, and guidelines.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue titled “Innovations and Evolving Practices in General Paediatric Surgery” in the open-access journal Children (MDPI).

This Special Issue aims to highlight current trends, challenges, and innovations in general paediatric surgery. It is aligned with the journal’s scope of advancing health and well-being in children through clinical, surgical, and translational research.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Minimally invasive and robotic surgery;
  • Neonatal and gastrointestinal surgery;
  • New technologies (e.g., ICG, 3D modelling, surgical simulation, artificial intelligence);
  • Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS);
  • Surgical education and training;
  • Multicentre or international outcome comparisons.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Riccardo Coletta
Dr. Andrea F. Conforti
Dr. Alessandro Raffaele
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • paediatric surgery
  • minimally invasive surgery
  • neonatal surgery
  • robotic surgery
  • ERAS
  • congenital malformations
  • surgical innovation
  • paediatric surgical oncology
  • intestinal surgery
  • laparoscopy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1123 KB  
Article
Early Enzyme-Alginogel Treatment Improves Healing and Reduces Complications, Scarring, and Healthcare Burden in Children with Mild-to-Moderate Burns: A Retrospective Real-World Study
by Biagio Nicolosi, Emanuele Buccione, Hamilton Dollaku, Benedetta Virginia Difalco, Eleonora Salutini, Alessandra Martin, Martina Certini, Sara Cappelli, Alessia Spano, Gianluca Castiello, Flavio Facchini and Guido Ciprandi
Children 2026, 13(8), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13080994 - 27 Jul 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Pediatric mild-to-moderate burns require careful management in the early phase, yet evidence guiding optimal initial dressing selection remains limited. Although topical medications and specialized dressings are routinely used, a universally accepted standard of care is lacking. Methods: We conducted a 1-year, real-world, [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Pediatric mild-to-moderate burns require careful management in the early phase, yet evidence guiding optimal initial dressing selection remains limited. Although topical medications and specialized dressings are routinely used, a universally accepted standard of care is lacking. Methods: We conducted a 1-year, real-world, retrospective, comparative, single-center study evaluating whether treatment with enzyme alginogel (Flaminal®) or NaOCl 0.05% antiseptic in the first 24 h led to different outcomes in terms of healing time, lesion progression, complication occurrence, scar quality, and burden of care. Medical records of 80 children with mild-to-moderate burns (Total Body Surface Area < 15%) treated between January and December 2024 were analyzed. Results: Despite a higher proportion of deep burns, early treatment with enzyme alginogel was associated with a 6.17-day [95% Confidence Interval: 4.71–7.63 days] shorter healing time (p < 0.001), with no observed lesion worsening or need for early surgery. The complication rate was 14% in the enzyme alginogel group, while all patients receiving antiseptic dressing had at least one complication (p < 0.001). Patients treated with enzyme alginogel also showed better Vancouver Scar Score [2.95 points, 95% Confidence Interval: 2.33–3.23, p < 0.001] and fewer follow-up visits, supporting a direct relationship between healing time and scar outcomes, and suggesting a potential reduction in the burden of care. Conclusions: Early management with alginogel favored healing, reduced complications, improved scar outcomes, and reduced burden of care in comparison to the initial treatment with NaOCl-based antiseptic dressings followed by treatment change when clinically indicated. Prospective, comparative, randomized studies are needed to confirm these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Evolving Practices in General Paediatric Surgery)
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11 pages, 500 KB  
Article
Early Use of Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Pediatric Abdominal and Thoracic Surgery: A Single-Center Retrospective Study on Clinical and Economic Outcomes
by Biagio Nicolosi, Felice Curcio, Marina Maffeo, Marika Di Leva, Mirco Gregorini, Emanuele Buccione and Riccardo Coletta
Children 2025, 12(11), 1433; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12111433 - 23 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1166
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and economic impact of early Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (iNPWT) in promoting surgical wound healing in pediatric patients undergoing abdominal and thoracic surgery. Background: Surgical wound complications, such as dehiscence and infection, are frequent in [...] Read more.
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness and economic impact of early Incisional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (iNPWT) in promoting surgical wound healing in pediatric patients undergoing abdominal and thoracic surgery. Background: Surgical wound complications, such as dehiscence and infection, are frequent in pediatric patients, especially in high-risk cases. Although iNPWT is increasingly used in surgical care, evidence supporting its efficacy in pediatric populations remains limited. Methods: This single-center, retrospective observational study analyzed 49 pediatric patients who underwent abdominal or thoracic surgery between January and December 2023. Patients received either intraoperative iNPWT (early application) or standard dressings. The outcomes assessed included time to complete wound healing, incidence of complications, pain levels, and healthcare costs. Results: Patients treated with early iNPWT showed significantly faster wound healing and fewer complications—particularly dehiscence and infections—compared to those receiving standard dressing. Pain perception did not significantly differ between groups. Although the initial costs of iNPWT were higher, overall costs were lower due to fewer complications and shorter hospital stays. Conclusions: Early iNPWT is a clinically effective and cost-efficient intervention for pediatric surgical patients at high risk of wound complications. However, limitations related to the retrospective design and small sample size suggest that prospective multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings and support the development of standardized pediatric protocols. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations and Evolving Practices in General Paediatric Surgery)
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