[Bladder exstrophy: a neonatal emergency. I: Functional reconstruction]

The goal of the treatment involving the children with exstrophy of the bladder must include urinary continence, protection of renal function, good reconstruction of the penis and a good quality of life. The staged approach (Jeff's protocol) includes bladder closure with penile lengthening, when necessary, in the first week of age, epispadias repair and finally bladder neck reconstruction with bilateral ureteral reimplantation. The authors present their experience on staged functional reconstruction of classical bladder exstrophy (40 patients). They had no dehiscences of the abdominal wall and bladder at the primary bladder closure, at any age, with or without bilateral iliac osteotomy. The final successful rate in the staged functional bladder reconstruction was about 70% and it is continuously improving. In the authors' opinion the successful initial bladder closure is perhaps the most important factor for obtaining a larger bladder more quickly and for achieving a high urinary continence; it must be performed in tre first days of life.