Continent urinary pouches in pediatric age

– To make a new urinary reservoir which can be catheterised either through an external stoma or transurethrally, is the only way to achieve continence in quite a large number of irreversible structural and functional disorders of the bladder wall, also in pediatric age. Orthotopic are usually preferred to heterotopic pouches in pediatric patients, indications for the latter being few. Bladder exstrophy, neurogenic bladder from spina bifida, severe fibrosis of the bladder walls as a consequence of congenital outlet obstruction in prenatal age, such as posterior urethral valves and bilateral ectopic ureterocele, are the most frequent clinical indications, while bladder tumours are uncommon. Over the last 10 years we have perfomed 31 partial or total bladder substitutions in pediatric patients, 7 of which were continent urinary pouches with 2 in an ectopic position in the iliac fossa (Indiana pouch and Kock pouch). The 7 pouches were made in 4 bladder exstrophies (Indiana Pouch), 1 neurogenic bladder (gastric pouch with continent appendico-vesicostomy), 2 bladder tumours (Kock pouch). Results, in terms of continence and major or minor complications, are presented and discussed with particular reference to pediatric patients.