Clinical results with anterior diagonal iliac osteotomy in bladder exstrophy

We report our clinical experience with anterior diagonal iliac osteotomy in 10 patients who underwent surgery for bladder exstrophy. Technique and long-term results are discussed.

A total of 10 boys 1 month to 9 years old with bladder exstrophy underwent this procedure during a 2-year period.

None of the patients had bladder closure dehiscence or prolapse after the operation. There were neither infectious complications nor injury to the vessels or nerves in any case. Blood loss was minimal for anterior diagonal iliac osteotomy. The only significant complication in our series was the polypropylene erosion of the urethra, necessitating endoscopic removal in 1 patient 1 month postoperatively. All patients had wide diastasis of the pubis preoperatively (average pubic distance 53.3 cm., average pubic ratio 0.9). At surgery suturing the symphysis after bilateral osteotomy resulted in a satisfactory symphyseal approximation and tension-free closure of the abdominal wall was easily achieved in all cases. Radiological studies at a mean followup of 34.6 months (range 14.8 to 49.5) revealed significant recurrent diastasis of the pubic bones in all but 1 patient in whom bone grafts were applied between the iliac fragments. Mean interpubic distance was 42 cm. and mean pubic ratio was 0.6 at long-term followup.

Diagonal osteotomy may correct the principal bony deformity in exstrophy and enables initial symphyseal approximation. Pubic diastasis may recur, probably due to opening forces generated by soft tissue elements of the pelvis.