Management of omphalocele using the sac as supportive material.

Objective: To document retrospectively the outcome of a newly modified procedure for closure of large omphalocele, where the sac was conserved and used as autogenous supportive material.

Methods: The medical records of 10 patients with omphalocele major admitted to Al-Noor Specialist Hospital in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the last 15 years, October 1990 to October 2005, were retrospectively reviewed. The defects were considered by the same treating surgeon too big to be closed primarily so the sac was preserved to reduce the contents gradually.

Results: In the first stage, complete reduction was achieved in all the cases followed by second stage, the surgical closure. There was no mortality related to this intervention.

Conclusion: This proposed technique is safe, simple and effective for the treatment of large omphalocele.