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Surgery Encyclopedia
Patent Urachus Repair - Series
<< Back to Surgery and ProceduresNormal Anatomy
The urachus is a tube that connects the bladder to the umbilicus during fetal development. After birth, the urachus normally closes and becomes a ligament.
Normal anatomy
Indications
Surgery is recommended for a patent urachus that does not close after birth. There is some variablity in the degree of the defect. Sometimes, only the umbilical end of the urachus fails to close, generating a urachal sinus, which does not connect with the bladder, but simply eneters the skin for a short distance. These can usually be excised locally. If the entire urachus is patent all the way to the bladder, the urachus must be excised and the bladder closed.
Indications
Incision
While the infant is deep asleep and pain-free (using general anesthesia), an incision is made in the lower abdomen, below the umbilicus.
Incision
Procedure
The urachus is located and removed from the umbilicus and the bladder. The bladder opening is repaired, and the incision is closed.
Procedure
Aftercare
The outcome is usually excellent. The infant can be fed normally and should recover rapidly. A few days of hospitalization is all that is usually required.
Aftercare
Review Date: Sep 07, 2008
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Louis S. Liou, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urology, Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Louis S. Liou, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urology, Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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