Use of the rectus abdominis muscle and fascia flap in reconstruction of epispadias/exstrophy.

Inferiorly based rectus abdominis muscle flaps and fascial flaps have been used to construct a firm abdominal wall without hernias and to provide coverage of the bladder, bladder neck, and proximal urethra in the secondary reconstruction of patients with epispadias/exstrophy complex. They have also been used to produce an elevation of the mons area, which is lacking in the typical exstrophy patient. Rectus fascial flaps have been the mainstay of abdominal closure when wide diastasis of the rectal muscles is present and when the lower abdomen lacks fascial support. We are pleased with the results of utilizing either the rectus muscle or rectus fascia in this complex condition. We have been using fascial flaps for over 10 years in our epispadias/exstrophy closures and abdominal wall strengthening procedures. We have been using bone grafts and the rectus muscle for the construction of a mons for the past 5 years. Although the rectus muscle procedure to cover the bladder and the bladder neck has been in use for only 2 years, we have seen patients with incontinence restored to a continent state; these patients have not been plagued with fistula problems when a neourethra has to be constructed to elongate the phallus. Previous attempts at urethral repair in this area have been successful in the main, but an occasional fistula at the junction between the penile skin and the abdominopubic skin has resulted. Since using the rectus muscle to cover the bladder and bladder neck area, we have not had this problem. Patients with epispadias/exstrophy remain such difficult problems that every advance in technique should be used to improve results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)