Urinary incontinence in children: treatment with free autogenous muscle transplantation

Free autogenous muscle transplantation has now been carried out in 13 patients with anal incontinence and 16 patients with urinary incontinence. In anal incontinence the results have been excellent; all patients were improved and 12 out of 13 reached an acceptable level of continence. In 10 patients with urinary incontinence the results were good, with increase of functional bladder capacity and abandonment of nappies during the day. Two patients were improved and 4 were failures. Cinematographic studies in both anal and urinary incontinence clearly demonstrated the muscular activity of the transplants and confirmed the existence of a reinnervation process. The longest postoperative observation time is now 7-years in the anal patients and 6 years in the urinary patients.