title: Abdominal wall defects: a 33-year unicentric experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper was to provide the main clinical features, surgical details, and long term outcome of patients with gastroschisis and omphalocele operated on at Giannina Gaslini Institute between 1976 and 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who were operated on between 1976 and 2009 for omphalocele or gastroschisis were included. Detailed informations regarding demographics, maternal history, type of delivery, associated anomalies, surgical details, complications, morbidity and mortality were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one patients were included. Type of delivery did not interfere with outcome. Although patients with omphalocele had higher incidence of associated anomalies with their obvious impact on survival and quality of life, they showed a quicker recovery from surgery. Mortality rate was around 5%. Long-term outcome was available in 18 of them and proved to be satisfactory in all although almost 70% of them complained some gastrointestinal issues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gastroschisis and Omphalocele showed improving survival and outcome during the last decades. Caesarean section proved not to confer advantages over vaginal delivery. Associated anomalies have the highest impact on survival being cardiac malformation the most significant risk factors. Although overall outcome is good in the majority of the patients, gastrointestinal and cosmetic issues seem to have a significant impact on quality of life and overall patients' perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Surgery Department, Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genoa, Italy. picchiot@libero.it
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pini-Prato
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mattioli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlucci
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avanzini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buffa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michelazzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montobbio
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jasonni
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult