title: Past and present in omphalocele treatment in Romania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Omphalocele is a congenital abnormality whose prognosis has improved significantly over the last few decades, reaching a survival rate of 80-90% in developed countries. Currently, in Romania no comprehensive study on the incidence, treatment, and survival of patients with this defect of the anterior abdominal wall has been carried out.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective analytical study was conducted over a period of 23 years and included 105 children with omphalocele. Prenatal diagnosis, referral to our hospital, children age upon admission, associated diseases, medical and surgical management, early and late postoperative complications, and the length of hospital stay were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The low rate of antenatal diagnosis (13.3%), the high frequency of associated congenital malformations (71.4%) and chromosomal abnormalities (27.6%), inadequate and delayed transport to a specialized pediatric surgery center together with an increased rate of sepsis (37.1%)resulted in a high mortality rate (54.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significantly reduced length of hospital stay and higher survival rate despite the apparently more frequent medical complications plead for the surgical treatment of omphalocele whenever not contraindicated by the presence of severe pulmonary hypoplasia, cardiac defects, immaturity and other severe congenital anomalies, when conservative treatment is indicated.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tarcă
authors.forename: Sg
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aprodu
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000639:trends