Omphalocele repair - series Omphalocele is an abdominal wall
defect at the base of the umbilical cord (umbilicus); the infant
is born with a sac protruding through the defect which contains
small intestine, liver, and large intestine. Omphalocele is
frequently associated with other birth defects, such as heart
defects, imperforate anus, urinary problems, and genetic
defects. Omphalocele is very similar to gastroschisis, except
that the organs are enclosed in a sac. Omphalocele is a life-
threatening event requiring immediate intervention. The infant
may be born underweight (small for gestational age) due to
stress from this condition before birth. Immediately after
delivery, the exposed organs are covered with warm, moist,
sterile dressings. A tube is inserted into the stomach
(nasogastric tube, also called NG tube) to keep the stomach
empty to prevent choking on or breathing in (aspiration) stomach
contents into the lungs. The surgery is done as soon as the
infant is stable. While the baby is deep asleep and