Giant omphalocele: current perspectives

Abstract

Giant omphalocele (GO) is a congenital ventral abdominal wall defectcharacterized by a large opening with herniated abdominal organs,including liver, loss of abdominal cavity volume, and other associatedcongenital anomalies. Treatment of patients with GO represents a majorchallenge for involved caregivers. Despite significant improvements inneonatal intensive and surgical care over the last decades, thecondition is still associated with high mortality rates and a high riskof severe morbidity in survivors. The principles of the earliestattempts to treat GO surgically and conservatively are still easilyrecognized in the main approaches used today. In this review, we discussthe more recent developments in the treatment of GO, includingperioperative management and associated morbidities of the condition.