Experimentally prefabricated bladder

Long life expectancy after augmentation cystoplasty increases the importance of late complications of augmentation cystoplasty. Many complications are related to the mucosa of the intestinal flap used for augmentation cystoplasty. We compared a new prefabricated enterocystoplasty flap with the classic techniques of enterocystoplasty using seromuscular flaps. For prefabrication the seromuscular flap was partially grafted with uro-epithelium before augmentation cystoplasty.

The study consisted of 4 groups. In the first 2 groups seromuscular flaps were used for augmentation cystoplasty with different sides of the flap inside the bladder. The muscular and serosal surfaces were prefabricated in groups 3 and 4, respectively. Prefabricated seromuscular flaps were used for augmentation cystoplasty after remaining in situ for 2 weeks.

While mean augmented bladder capacity in groups 1, 2 and 4 was 18 to 20 ml. after 8 weeks, capacity in the prefabricated seromuscular enterocystoplasty group was 50 ml. Histopathological examination showed severe fibrosis in all except the prefabricated seromuscular enterocystoplasty group.

Prefabrication allows the avoidance of the complications caused by intestinal mucosa in the reservoir and results in good capacity when the raw surface of the seromuscular flap is partially grafted with uro-epithelium before use.