Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons Medknow Publications on behalf of the Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons ISSN: 0971-9261 EISSN: 1998-3891 Vol. 11, Num. 3, 2006, pp. 128-128

Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, Vol. 11, No. 3, July-September, 2006, pp. 128

Editorial

Research in pediatric surgery in India: Areas of interest

Prasad GR

Hyderabad
Correspondence Address:Hyderabad

Code Number: ip06031

The field of pediatric surgery has been growing and expanding in all parts of the country since the last 3 decades but a there is a definite lack of research orientation. It is high time now that all the members of the Indian Association of pediatric Surgeons should contribute towards this field. To progress one needs to identify the areas of ones weakness and strengthen them. Initiating a move in this direction will not only give us added confidence of pursuing our current practices but also motivate us to think in a direction of developing innovative ideas and contribute to the development of the specialty.

Some areas of research interest include:

1. Developing basic research in pediatric surgery eg., neonatal response to surgical stress and surgical diseases, neonatal wound healing patterns and modifying factors that at present are essentially extrapolated from adult concepts.
2. Modify nutritional concepts that suit local conditions and economic status.
3. Develop newer disease modifying molecules that can be produced locally and be cost effective. Develop local techniques of primer making for molecular studies so that research becomes more economical and suits our needs.
4. Develop cytogenetic data of our conditions and try and get into molecular manipulation where feasible.
5. Develop newer surgical procedures and concepts of treatment and encourage lateral thinking so that novel ideas both conceptual and technical, emerge so that significant contribution can be made from India.
6. Develop new instruments suitable for our practice and modify existing ones that suit neonatal surgical work both open and minimal access surgery. Make them more economical and user friendly, eg now we are using many adult lap instruments and finding them difficult to use and now we don't have neonatal retractors specific for specific surgery. Try and develop ideas so that they can be converted into reality and made suitable for large scale manufacturing.
7. Develop neonatal and pediatric data bases and maintenance of registry
8. Look for regional disease pattern and trying to get into causative factors, mechanism of disease and try and develop a concept for these diseases. E.g., Pouch colon, regional differences in thyroid diseases, hematological disease, tumors, pancreatitis, and other anomalies and diseases.
9. Develop ideas for pediatric surgical teaching and training that suits our special Indian needs and suggest to the appropriate body IAPS, MCI and pressurize implementation

Let us concentrate first on our needs, feasible things, places of training, resource persons and institutions and then focus on clinical, epidemiology, data base acquisition and maintenance, innovation in instrumentations and in surgical techniques (like port less lap, inferior mesenteric splenic shunts with splenic artery ligation for portal hypertension, and hand held water jets for liver resection).

Conceptual research like early enteral nutrition in intestinal surgery, molecular and mediator manipulation in neonatal surgical lesions, molecular and genetic manipulations in sepsis, medical treatment for Hirschsprung's disease, use of lap instruments in open surgery with some modification particularly for renal hilum, pulmonary hilum and pelvis and biliary enteric anastomosis. One should aim to centralize research one at one place so that most of the centers are active in that particular field. We should strive to collect materials, get grants and funds so that research can be accomplished without burden

The Indian Association of Paediatric Surgeons has taken a wise lead to create awareness in this field not only to promote Pediatric Surgical research but also follow the practice of evidence based medicine (EBM). It is expected that the fraternity would feel the need to be a part of this research group and contribute in various capacities, whether as a trainee, a practicing or an institutional Pediatric Surgeon.

A happy beginning is half done.

Copyright 2006 - Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons