Publication:

Bladder exstrophy: surgical management in older children and young adults: review of 29 cases in sub-Saharan surgical facility

Background Bladder exstrophy is a challenge to every surgeon in the world but it is more challenging in developing world. The condition is highly varied in nature and so are the procedures. Though rare it is associated with severe disability not to be able to have continence of urine and affect normal reproduction.

Methods We retrospectively retrieved documents from hospital records

Result We describe 29 cases of Bladder extrophy where 10 of which were treated with uretero-sigmoidostomy diversion. Bladder closures were done for 19 cases with 2 cases of bladder wall dehiscence. We also reported use of paraexstrophy skin to augment the contracted bladders in 9 older children.

Conclusions Because of lack of awareness in the community, bladder exstrophy cases come late in the childhood or in adulthood. This has affected the result where many of them offered only diversion. In One third (9 cases) we used paraexstrophy skin to augment bladder capacity where we observed better outcomes.