The greater omentum. Anatomy, embryology, and surgical applications.

The significance of the greater omentum has been discovered recently by surgeons of various disciplines because it provides an excellent plastic material against inflammation and irradiation and for repair of defects that can be applied in the abdominal cavity; or it can be exteriorized and lengthened at a vascular pedicle and detached using microvascular anastomoses. Anatomic features, such as the volume of the omentum and the arrangement of the blood vessels, determine the lines of dissection. The eminent omental potential and the different biochemical and immunologic functions are unique, and can be related to specific anatomic structures, some of which may be drawn back to its embryologic sources. The ability of absorption and adhesion formation, neovascularization, and infection defense by the omentum protects against irradiation damage, accelerates healing of dead space, and improves the complication rate and quality of life after application to a wound bed.