Open myelomeningocele--a ten-year review of 200 consecutive closures.
An unselected series of 200 consecutive closures of open myelomeningocele is reported with reviews of the survivors at 5 and 10 years. Assessment of the child's ability to fit into society can be made reasonably accurately at 5 years. Urinary tract problems in older children have not been so prominent as expected. Twenty-six out of 106 10-year-olds had normal micturition. Social problems seem likely to outweigh surgical ones in the teenage survivors.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012574:Schools; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000601:surgery; D014554:Urination