Hypertension following primary bladder closure for vesical exstrophy

Since the initiation of staged reconstruction for bladder exstrophy, hypertension has been a known complication of the procedure. The etiology of the elevation in blood pressure was presumably secondary to ureteral dysfunction caused by edema at the ureterovesical junction and secondary renal obstruction. This report details the clinical course of three patients who developed significant hypertension following primary bladder closure with posterior iliac osteotomies and bony immobilization by skin traction. None of the patients had urinary obstruction and all had their hypertension alleviated by removal of the traction. The presumed etiology of the elevated blood pressure within these patients is similar to that experimentally produce by inappropriately applied traction resulting in tension on the sciatic nerve and reflex induced vasoconstriction. The need to maintain appropriately applied traction and the necessity of monitoring the postoperative blood pressure is stressed.