Gastroschisis in 106 consecutive newborn infants.

Primary tissue closure of gastroschisis remains controversial. Some surgeons routinely place a silicone rubber sheet silo over the exposed bowel, planning a staged closure. In the past 14 1/2 years, we have cared for 106 newborns with gastroschisis, closing the defect primarily in 80%. The success of this technique depends on enlarging the abdominal cavity and decreasing the volume of bowel that must be replaced in the peritoneal cavity. Thorough preoperative rectal irrigation should evacuate all meconium. After undermining the skin around the abdominal wall defect for only 1 cm, a midline subcutaneous fasciotomy is created from the xiphoid to the pubis. The abdominal wall is then stretched in all quadrants beginning at the flanks. The eviscerated small bowel can often be returned without enlarging the initial skin defect. The skin is closed with subcuticular absorbable sutures reinforced by long skin tapes. The small ventral hernia that results is closed at about 1 year of age. Fascia could be closed primarily in 28% of these patients, and 17% required a prosthetic pouch. The duration of postoperative ileus and length of hospital stay were statistically significantly shorter in the infants who underwent primary closure. Even though more complicated patients were included in the primary closure group, the incidence of mortality and morbidity was not higher than in patients treated with silicone rubber pouches. Deaths were inevitable in five infants with gangrenous bowel, multiple anomalies, and extreme prematurity. Deaths were related to sepsis in three infants and were the result of operative or anesthetic technique in four. Only two preoperative factors were prognostic of morbidity and mortality: gestational age (but not birth weight) and the presence of intestinal ischemia or atresia.