Anatomical and Functional Outcome of Gastrointestinal Reconstruction in Babies and Young Children.

1:3500 babies are born with major life threatening gastrointestinal anomalies which may present at any stage from birth to much later on in life. In the last 24 months more than 100 consecutive major gastrointestinal reconstructive surgeries have been done in newborns, infants and young children at Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi. These babies have been followed at regular intervals for the anatomical and functional outcome in the intermediate term (3 mo-24 mo) More than ninety percent of operated babies are growing and thriving without any symptoms. The category with highest failure rate remains biliary atresia, where portoenterostomy has limited success rate not exceeding 25% in our hands. However the overall anatomical and functional results in babies who have undergone major gastrointestinal reconstruction is very encouraging and exceeds 90%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]