A new approach to bladder augmentation in children: seromuscular enterocystoplasty.

Objective: To report the use of seromuscular enterocystoplasty (SE) combined with detrusorectomy, in children.

Patients And Methods: Between 1993 and 1998, SE was performed in 10 children (aged 10-17 years) with a spastic neurogenic bladder resulting from spinal trauma. Before surgery all children were incontinent and despite anticholinergic medication and clean intermittent catheterization, their bladder capacity was 60-100 mL and their intravesical pressure 40-60 cmH2O.

Results: Before surgery, the mean end-filling intravesical pressure was 47.7 cmH2O and the mean bladder capacity 82.9 mL. At 3 months after surgery the mean end-filling intravesical pressure was decreased to 21.1 cmH2O and the mean bladder capacity increased to 319.6 mL. One patient (a 14-year-old girl) had urinary retention soon after surgery and has since used clean intermittent catheterization. The other children were able to void successfully using the Valsalva manoeuvre; none were incontinent. All patients were followed and there were no changes in intravesical pressure and bladder capacity.

Conclusion: In providing most of the desired features of an ideal augmentation segment, SE is a good and effective method of bladder augmentation.