How I do it: A novel umbilicoplasty technique using the preserved umbilical cord during primary bladder exstrophy
Sabri Cansaran1, Ayşenur Celayir1, Muhammed Hamidullah Çakmak1
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Health Sciences Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children's Diseases Health Training and Research Center, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Abstract:
In bladder exstrophy (BE), the umbilical cord is attached to the superior edge of the bladder plate and is usually discarded, leaving patients without a visible umbilicus. We describe a technique that preserves the umbilical cord during primary BE repair to reconstruct a natural-appearing umbilicus without additional skin incisions. The preserved umbilical vein embedded in Wharton's jelly is passed retrogradely through a preperitoneal tunnel to a midline skin opening and secured to create a stable umbilical depression. In five neonates followed for a median of 5 years, all achieved stable cosmetic results with no technique-related complications or need for revision.
