[Laparoscopic resection of persistent patent urachus].

The urachus in the foetus is a fibromuscular duct, which connects the allantois to the bladder and it is usually occluded in the 4-5th gestation months. Incomplete occlusion of the urachus at the time of birth is considered to be physiological, but later it can lead to recurrent discharge and inflammation of the umbilicus. To establish the diagnosis, ultrasound is the first examination of choice. A 19-year old obese female patient presented with umbilical discharge, and a persistent urachus was detected by ultrasound. After incision of the peritoneum the duct was excised from the umbilicus to the dome of the bladder by 3-port laparoscopy where the duct was clipped. The operation time was 38 minutes. The patient required minor analgesia on one single occasion in the postoperative period and was discharged on the first postoperative day. The authors recommend laparoscopic operation for the urachal remnant; the enlarged duct on the ventral abdominal wall can be better detected from the umbilicus to the Retzius spatium with 30-degree camera, and the cosmetic outcome is also more favourable.