Surgical Management of Gastroschisis With the Use of Primary and Staged Closure on the Basis of the Department's 20-Year Experience

Abstract BACKGROUND: Gastroschisis belongs to common developmental anomalies. The aim of surgical management is to restore the integrity of the abdominal wall and to insert the bowel into the abdominal cavity with the use of the primary or staged closure technique.The objective of this paper is to analyze our 20-year experience with surgical treatment of gastroschisis with primary and staged closure, to compare the postoperative course for the said techniques as well as to identify factors influencing the course and early results of treatment.METHODS: The research materials comprise of a retrospective analysis of medical history of patients treated at the Surgery Clinic in Poznan in the years 2000-2019. 59 patients were operated on: 30 girls and 29 boys.Surgical treatment was performed with the use of primary closure in 33% of the cases, whereas the staged silo closure was performed in 67% of the cases. RESULTS: Postoperative analgosedation was used for 6 days on average after primary closures, and for 13 days on average after staged closures. Incidence frequency of generalized bacterial infection was 21% for primary closures and 37% for staged closures. Infants treated with staged closure began enteral feeding considerably later (day 22) than those treated with primary closure (day 12). CONCLUSIONS: It is not possible to indicate clearly which surgical technique is superior to the other on the basis of the results obtained. When choosing the treatment method, the patient's clinical condition, associated anomalies and the medical team's experience must be taken into consideration.