Neurogenic Bladder

“Neurogenic” means caused or affected by the nerves or nervous system. Children with certain medical conditions or spinal cord abnormalities such as spina bifida can have significant bladder problems that can cause kidney damage and urinary incontinence. Traditionally, correcting these problems could only be done with a large abdominal incision.

We now offer the following minimally invasive surgical options for children with neurogenic bladder problems:

Robotic appendicovesicostomy

Otherwise known as a “Mitrofanoff procedure”, this procedure attaches the appendix to the bladder so children can usually catheterize their bladder through their belly button. This makes it easier to drain the bladder in children who must perform catheterization to empty their bladders.

Robotic bladder neck reconstruction/bladder neck sling placements

Some children do not have normal function of the urinary sphincter that holds urine inside the bladder. These procedures can help prevent urine from leaking out of the bladder.

Robotic bladder augmentation

For some children, their bladder is too small to hold urine in a healthy fashion. This procedure uses bowel to increase the size of the bladder.