Surgery Begins

After the very first surgery



 Aiden's first surgery was on July 23, 2010.  The surgeons decided to do gradual closure of the omphalocele.  The process involved multiple surgeries to slowly push the organs into his abdominal cavity and allow skin to be stretched over the organs.  During the first surgery they attached a mesh type material to both sides of the abdomen.  The mesh was sewn into place and then stretched over the organs.  The mesh put pressure on the organs thus pulling them into his abdomen.  Every other day the surgeons took Aiden back to surgery to cut the mesh and sew it tighter thus applying more pressure on the organs and pushing them in a little further.  The staged surgery process was important because of the size of Aiden's omphalocele.  If all the organs were pushed in during one surgery it would apply to much pressure on his lungs and he would not be able to breathe. 

After one of the reduction surgeries. Slowly the omphalocele is getting smaller as it is pushed in.