Gurugram, Feb 11 (IANS): Doctors here on Friday successfully treated an eight-year-old Nigerian girl born with a rare medical condition in which her liver and most of the intestines protrude outside of her abdomen in a sac-like structure.

In a challenging, 5-hour-long surgery, doctors at Artemis hospital, Gurugram put the child's organs back inside her abdominal cavity.

"One in every 5,000 babies in the world is born with this rare condition, called an omphalocele. It arises due to a defect in the abdominal wall. The infant's intestines, liver, or other organs stick out of the abdomen through the navel (belly button) in a thin, nearly transparent sac of skin, giving a grotesque appearance to the patient," said Dr Nitin Goel, Consultant-Pediatric Surgery, at the Hospital, in a statement.

"Treatment represents a major challenge, and the condition is associated with a high risk of severe morbidity in survivors," he added.

Goel noted that in such conditions the space for organs hanging from the abdomen does not exist inside the body.

"This space has to be artificially created in the abdomen to push the liver and intestines back into their natural place. This puts a lot of pressure on organs like kidneys, heart and lungs which may stop working. It also leads to breathing difficulties for the patient, which makes post-operative care crucial, Goel said.

Post the surgery, the girl was put on a ventilator for two days to assist in her breathing. After observing her for five more days, the child was discharged.

"We expect the patient to lead a totally normal life now onwards, without further treatment in relation to this disease," the doctors said.

"This is like the second birth of my daughter, and we all look forward to her leading a normal life like any other child of her age. I cannot thank the doctors enough for this medical feat," said the girl's mother, Aisha Mohammed.