URINARY CONTINENCE IS WELL PRESERVED AFTER TOTAL UROGENITAL MOBILIZATION

Abstract

Total urogenital sinus mobilization (TUM) has been advocated as a successful technique in the repair of common urogenital sinus anomalies. To our knowledge the long-term effects on continence, voiding pattern and bowel control have not been published. We present our experience and assessment regarding these issues. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with TUM. Medical records were reviewed for each patient along with long-term followup by telephone questionnaire and clinical visits. Uroflowmetry was performed in recent patients who were old enough to cooperate in the study. A total of 13 females underwent TUM. Medical records were reviewed for all patients. Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 7 patients who underwent surgery before the age of achieving continence, and group 2 consisted of 6 patients who were incontinent before surgery. One patient in group 2 was lost to long-term followup. Two children in group 1 have enuresis, a 27-month-old with day and nighttime enuresis and a 3-year-old with only nocturnal enuresis. All patients in group 2 were continent immediately postoperatively. TUM preserves urinary continence immediately postoperatively among patients who are continent before surgery. Furthermore, it does not appear to delay the natural development of continence among patients undergoing surgery before the age of toilet training.