Vesical neck reconstruction in patients with epispadias-exstrophy

Vesical neck reconstruction was performed in 50 male and 12 female patients with the epispadias-exstrophy complex. Of these patients 45 had epispadias and 17 had classical exstrophy. Patient age ranged from 3 to 27 years, with a mean age of 12.6 years. Followup after vesical neck reconstruction averaged 11.6 years. Of the 45 patients with epispadias 35 (78 per cent) and of the 17 with bladder exstrophy 13 (76 per cent) are continent, for an over-all continence rate of 77 per cent. An adequate bladder capacity was one of the most important determinants of continence. In 11 patients with a small capacity or poorly compliant bladder augmentation cystoplasty was combined with vesical neck reconstruction to increase vesical capacity and to produce complete urinary continence.