Outcome of complete primary bladder exstrophy repair: Single-center experience

Abstract Objective Reconstruction of bladder exstrophy remains a challenge. We evaluated our experience with complete primary repair in classic bladder exstrophy. Methods A retrospective data review was conducted of bladder exstrophy patients presenting at our institution between May 2000 and September 2007. Fifty-one patients (21 females and 30 males) with classic bladder exstrophy were included. Age of presentation ranged from 24 h to 14 months. Mean follow up was 3 years (1 month–7 years). Patients were evaluated for continence, upper tract dilatation and cosmetic result. Results Eight patients (15.6%) had failed closures and six (11.7%) had fistulae. Evaluation of continence excluded 16 patients not followed up at our center. Thirty-seven percent were continent on clean intermittent catheterization after the age of 5 years. Patients became dry only after augmentation cystoplasty. Upper tract changes were mild during our study with all patients having normal serum creatinine. Conclusion Patients may require more than one procedure for reconstruction. In our series, augmentation was required to achieve acceptable dryness. Early promising results with dry intervals in young patients did not translate to continence in older patients.