ABSTRACT
By and large, umbilical artery catheterization is performed by the neonatologist and/or the pediatrician and rarely an opportunity arises for the surgeon to perform this task. Much has been written in the medical literature6 concerning the technique and positioning of the catheter and the precautions one must take in order to avoid complications. This discussion will not deal with the routine umbilical artery catheterization, but rather with a variant of this technique which is employed quite commonly by pediatric surgeons and involves the transfer of the umbilical artery from its umbilical position to a para-umbilical anterior abdominal wall position. The need for this maneuver arises when one deals with the surgical correction of abdominal defects in babies who will require careful monitoring and prolonged ventilatory support. This is particularly true in premature infants in whom peripheral arterial cannulization is at times impossible and in whom continuous intra-aortic catheterization is essential.
