Management of gastroschisis in an extremely low birth weight infant: report of a case.

Background: Gastroschisis is a rare congenital anomaly in which abdominal organs herniate through a defect in the abdominal wall. Managing gastroschisis in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants presents significant challenges because of their immature physiologies and increased risk of complications.

Case presentation: This report discusses the case of a female ELBW infant born via an emergency cesarean section at 29 weeks of gestation, weighing 768 g, who had a prenatal diagnosis of gastroschisis. Postnatal management included immediate surgical intervention using a hand-made silo manufactured from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) sheets that were sutured to the patient's abdominal wall to accommodate her small abdominal cavity and preserve mesenteric blood flow. Necrotizing enterocolitis with bowel perforation emerged as a complication, which led to the excision of a 10 cm segment of the ileum and the creation of an ileostomy. The infant experienced insufficient weight gain and liver dysfunction. However, she was eventually discharged on day 142 of life, weighing 2774 g, on oral feeding, without significant complications.

Conclusions: This case emphasizes how prematurity significantly affected the patient's clinical outcomes, and highlights the importance of individualized management strategies. Our experience demonstrates that custom silo placement allows for the size to be adapted to the abdominal defect, and highlights the critical need to prioritize postnatal bowel perfusion in ELBW infants with gastroschisis.