A 5-Year Retrospective Study of Gastrointestinal Atresia in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia

Background: Birth defects of the digestive system are a phenotypically and etiologically different category common birth defects caused by various causes during fetal development. Objective: The study’s goal was to evaluate patient demographics, related abnormalities, atresia location, operational management, postoperative care, and results of patients with gastrointestinal atresia and compare them with other research. Methods: A 5-year retrospective study in cases with gastrointestinal atresia at a tertiary hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, was carried out by the pediatric surgery department from January 2017 to January 2022. Results: A165 cases were operated due to gastrointestinal atresia in five-year period., 105 were male (63.6%) and 60 were female (36.4%), giving the male to female ratio of 1.75:1. According to the age group of the study population, the majority of cases (48.5%) were aged less than 1 month. The esophageal atresia, duodenal atresia, high jejunal atresia, jejunoileal atresia, and colon atresia, anorectal malformations were 9.7%, 9.1%, 0.6%, 7.3%, 73.3%, respectively; the anorectal malformations has resulted in the majority of cases (73.3%). 20 % of cases had no follow-up, while 80% arrived as planned. 52.1% got well and had no complications and some developed different complications like peristomal skin irritation (14%), rectal and urethral fistula (4.8%), rectal prolapse (1.8%), rectal stenosis (2.4%), rectal adhesions (1.2%), esophageal stricture (1.2%), wound infection (3.6%), anastomosis dehiscence (0.6%), abdominal distension (0.6%), recto-perineal fistula (1.2%), urethral damage and urinary retention (0.6%). Mortality for this study was 24.8% (41 patients). Conclusion: Children with gastrointestinal atresia present late in the course of their illness, with substantial morbidity and death due to poor economic conditions, poor nutrition, surgical problems, and likely related anomalies, rather than surgical morbidity alone. Keywords: birth defects, fetal development, digestive system, intestinal obstruction