Return Home
HealthSearch
Health Guide
Multimedia Encyclopedia
    Silo
   
Silo

Gastroschisis is a birth defect in which an infant's intestines stick out (protrude) through a hole in the abdominal wall. Sometimes, gastroschisis can be repaired surgically at birth. Most often, the infant's abdominal cavity is too small for the intestine to fit back in. So a mesh sack called a silo is stitched around the borders of the defect, and the end of the silo is hung above the baby. This allows gravity to help the intestine to slip back into the abdomen. Over time, the intestine returns into the abdominal cavity and the defect can then be closed.

Review Date: 12/31/2023
Reviewed By: Mary J. Terrell, MD, IBCLC, Neonatologist, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Fayetteville, NC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.