Introduction: Whatever the method and timing of surgery, a high proportion of children with bladder exstrophy will continue to suffer from urinary incontinence. They face the options of urinary diversion to an external stoma or construction of a neobladder from bowel. This study describes a modified Duhamel's rectal pouch with a ureterorectostomy was carried out on 11 children who had a failed repair of bladder exstrophy.
Materials and methods: Ten boys and one girl, aged from 4 to 7 years (mean 5.5), had several unsuccessful operations for bladder exstrophy. All selected to have good renal function and no other anomalies, but were incontinent of urine and had a small contracted or prolapsed bladder. They underwent urinary diversion to the rectum using the Duhamel pullthrough technique, where the sigmoid colon was opened into the back of the anal canal above the dentate line, creating a rectal bladder and making use of the anal sphincter to control urine and stool. All were followed up for 24 months (18-27 months).
Results: In this selected group of patients there were no major operative or postoperative complications. Follow-up for 2 years revealed no deterioration in renal function, or electrolytes disturbance. They can hold up to 300 ml of urine and all patients are continent during the daytime with an emptying frequency of 3-5 times. Nocturnal wetting occur some 4-8 times per month with significant decrease with time. Two cases developed pyelonephritis but this was controlled with medical treatment.
Conclusion: Eleven children achieved effective urinary continence by ureteric diversion to the rectum using a modified Duhamel pullthrough technique. Two years follow up showed no complications, except bed wetting, but long term assessment is warranted.