A modification for bladder neck reconstruction in the treatment of patients with exstrophy and incontinence

We present a modification of bladder neck reconstruction which resulted in improved continence and voiding compared to other techniques of bladder neck repairs in patients with exstrophy and complete incontinence.

The series consisted of 10 patients with the exstrophy-epispadias complex and complete incontinence who previously had undergone multiple operations for bladder closure, bladder neck reconstruction and epispadias repair. This modification combines bladder neck lengthening and narrowing of the distal half of the urethra, and submucosal embedding of the proximal half of the neourethra in the trigonal area. All patients also underwent bladder augmentation with detubularized sigmoid colon concurrent with bladder neck reconstruction. Additionally the appendical Mitrofanoff principle was applied to 5 cases.

Of the 10 patients who underwent bladder neck reconstruction with sigmoid cystoplasty 8 are voiding voluntarily without catheterization and are dry for longer than 4 hours day and night. Only 2 patients are partially dry with stress nocturia incontinence and in both we performed a Mitrofanoff procedure as an adjunct to catheterization and to ensure voiding and continence.

Our modified bladder neck reconstruction provides better overall voiding and continence rates than the other bladder neck/urethral reconstruction procedures in patients with exstrophy and complete incontinence.