Background: Omentoplasty (OP) is thought to fill residual cavity, to assist healing of raw surfaces, and to promote resorption of serosal fluid and macrophagic migration in septic loci. Results published to date, whether retrospective or prospective, are not controlled and are discordant. Study Design: The authors investigated whether OP, either filling the residual cavity after unroofing, or covering the hepatic raw surface after pericystectomy, could reduce the rate or severity of deep abdominal complications (DAC) after surgical treatment of hydatid disease of the liver. Between January 1993 and December 1996, 115 consecutive patients (51 males and 64 females, mean age 42 ± 16 years [range 10 to 80 years]) with previously unoperated uni- or multilocular hydatid disease of the liver, complicated or not, without other abdominal hydatid disease, were randomly allotted to OP (n = 58) or not (NO) (n = 57) after unroofing, total, or partial pericystectomy. Patients were divided into 2 strata according to the site of the cyst with respect to the diaphragm: a) posterosuperior segments II, VII, and VIII or b) anterior segments III, IV, V, and VI. Main outcomes measures included deep bleeding, hematoma, infection, or bile leakage. Subsidiary measures included wound complications, extraabdominal complications, duration of operation, and length of hospital stay. Results: Both groups were comparable regarding patient demographics, cyst characteristics, intraoperative procedures, search for bile leaks, and intraoperative transfusion requirements. On the other hand, more patients (86%) in NO had associated drainage of the abdominal cavity than in OP (64%) and the duration of operation was 9 minutes longer in OP, but neither of these differences was statistically significant. Less DAC occurred in OP (10%) than in NO (23%) (a posteriori gamma risk < 0.05) and fewer deep abdominal abscesses (0 versus 11%) (p < 0.03). Median duration of hospital stay, however, was similar. Conclusions: OP decreases the rate of DAC and especially deep abdominal abscess after surgical treatment (unroofing or pericystectomy) for hydatid disease of the liver and should be recommended in this setting.
