Bladder exstrophy repair

Bladder exstrophy repair

Anesthesia type
Airway
Lines and access
Monitors
Primary anesthetic considerations
Preoperative
Intraoperative
Postoperative
Article quality
Editor rating	Unrated
User likes	0

Bladder exstrophy is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by failure of lower abdominal wall and anterior bladder closure, resulting in exposure of posterior bladder wall through the abdominal wall. The defect results from failure of mesenchymal migration and premature rupture of cloacal membrane during embryologic development.

Surgical repair is typically performed in neonatal period (primary closure) or later in staged reconstruction.

Overview

Indications

Surgical repair indicated in all cases of classic bladder exstrophy with goals to

• Protect exposed bladder mucosa from infection and trauma
• Prevent progressive renal damage
• Restore urinary continence
• Reconstruct genital and abdominal anatomy

Timing

• Ideally within first year of life, preferably before 9 months
• Immediate closure within first 72 hours of life when pelvic bones are more malleable can help avoid osteotomies
• Delayed or staged reconstruction can be performed in older infants or failed primary closure

Surgical procedure

• Bladder plate mobilization and closure (exposed bladder plate is dissected and mobilized to allow posterior wall approximation)
• Bladder neck and urethra reconstruction (if part of staged repair)
• Abdominal wall closure (rectus muscles and fascia are mobilized and reapproximated)
• Pelvic osteotomies (commonly done to reduce tension and allow pubic approximation, which increase surgical time, blood loss, and postop pain)
• Urinary drainage (suprapubic catheter, urethral stents, urethral catheter depending on stage)
• Postoperative immobilization (e.g. Bryant's traction or Spica cast to protect repair)

Preoperative management

Patient evaluation

System	Considerations
Airway
Neurologic
Cardiovascular
Pulmonary
Gastrointestinal
Hematologic
Renal
Endocrine
Other

Procedure variants

	Variant 1	Variant 2
Unique considerations
Indications
Position
Surgical time
EBL
Postoperative disposition
Pain management
Potential complications