The medical team at Kyiv's "Okhmatdyt" successfully saved 8-month-old Kateryna, who suffered from a rare condition characterized by the absence of the anterior abdominal wall and bladder wall.
During one surgical procedure, the specialists performed six complex interventions, as reported by the hospital on its official page.
Two weeks before delivery, the girl's mother, Lyudmyla from Sumy region, learned that her child had a developmental defect. Initially, doctors suspected it was an umbilical hernia, but after birth, it turned out that the issue was much more complicated.
"The mother didn’t even get a chance to hug her daughter – she was immediately taken for examination. The results showed that the girl had no anterior abdominal wall or bladder wall, resulting in an open bladder. This is an extremely complex pathology that requires urgent surgical intervention," – reported at "Okhmatdyt".
Initially, little Kateryna was placed in the neonatal intensive care unit, and later she spent a month in the surgical department. There, doctors helped her gain weight and establish feeding.
After that, she was transferred to the urology department to prepare for the main stage – the surgery.
"The main danger of this pathology is that we can form a bladder, but it’s crucial that it functions properly. Often, such children have a bladder that is inverted and accompanied by vesicoureteral reflux. Usually, we eliminate this issue during bladder formation by transplanting the ureters.
In our patient, the bladder was small but very thick and less mobile. Creating a good reservoir from it was a real challenge. Therefore, we decided to divide the treatment stages," – explained pediatric urologist Alina Puzko.
When the girl turned six months old, doctors began preparing her for surgery. However, a new problem emerged: urine was leaking onto the abdominal wall, causing severe inflammation.
Doctors stated that operating on Kateryna in such a condition would be dangerous, as it could jeopardize the functioning of the newly formed bladder.
At the age of 8 months, the urology team conducted a complex surgical procedure, during which they accomplished six main tasks:
- formed the bladder, its neck, and urethra;
- reconstructed the umbilicus;
- performed plastic surgery on the anterior abdominal wall;
- reconnected the pelvic bones.
Previously, such operations took up to six hours, but thanks to the coordinated work of the surgeons, the duration of the procedure was halved. This significantly reduced risks and facilitated the child's recovery from anesthesia.
Now, doctors are closely monitoring how the bladder grows and starts to function.
Lyudmyla, the mother of the little patient, dreams of returning home with her daughter – healthy and peaceful.
