Information

Bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex is one of the most severe congenital anomalies in pediatric urology. Children are born without an anterior bladder wall, with the bladder open on the anterior abdominal wall, with an open bladder neck and urethra.

The first stage of surgical intervention is required almost immediately after birth, in order to close the bladder and the anterior abdominal wall. The second stage is carried out at four years of age. During this stage, full continence is achieved, the urinary canal is constructed, and the child's penis is formed.

Fortunately, these are rare cases, occurring about once a year in our practice. We usually know about these children already during pregnancy. We stay in contact with the mothers and with our gynecologist colleagues to monitor whether the malformations progress during fetal development or remain at the same degree of severity. After birth, we carry out specialized investigations - ultrasound, MRI - after which timely surgical treatment is applied to correct the malformation. This protects the function of the kidneys and, accordingly, of the ureters.

Pure forms of urethral epispadias are rare. In these cases, the urinary canal is located along the upper side of the penis rather than the lower side, opening somewhere along its length rather than at the tip. In these cases, reconstruction is performed in a single procedure.