Ladd's Procedure

Ladd's procedure is the surgical treatment for intestinal malrotation, a developmental disorder in which the cecum is positioned abnormally in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen and fibrous stalks of peritoneal tissue called Ladd's bands attach it to the retroperitoneum, compressing the duodenum. The condition primarily affects neonates and infants, who present with poor feeding and bilious vomiting, and surgery is typically performed in infancy or childhood. The procedure involves counterclockwise detorsion of the bowel, surgical division of the bands, widening of the small intestine's mesentery, an appendectomy, and reorientation of the bowel to restore a normal anatomical position. It is named after American pediatric surgeon William Edwards Ladd, who lived from 1880 to 1967.