title: Bladder exstrophy: reconstructed female patients achieving normal pregnancy and delivering normal babies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bladder exstrophy (BE) is an anterior midline defect that causes a series of genitourinary and muscular malformations, which demands surgical intervention for correction. Women with BE are fertile and able to have children without this disease. The purpose of this study is to assess the sexual function and quality of life of women treated for BE.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients in our institution treated for BE from 1987 to 2007 were recruited to answer a questionnaire about their quality of life and pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen women were submitted to surgical treatment for BE and had 22 pregnancies during the studied period. From those, 17 pregnancies (77.2%) resulted in healthy babies, while four patients (18.1%) had a spontaneous abortion due to genital prolapse, and there was one case (4.7%) of death due to a pneumopathy one week after delivery. There was also one case (5.8%) of premature birth without greater repercussions. During pregnancy, three patients (21.4%) had urinary tract infections and one patient (7.14%) presented urinary retention. After delivery, three patients (21.4%) presented temporary urinary incontinence; one patient (7.14%) had a vesicocutaneous fistula and seven patients (50%) had genital prolapsed. All patients confirmed to have achieved urinary continence, a regular sexual life and normal pregnancies. All patients got married and pregnant older than the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BE is a severe condition that demands medical and family assistance. Nevertheless, it is possible for the bearers of this condition to have a satisfactory and productive lifestyle.
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amilcar Martins
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Giron
authors.forename: Carlo Camargo
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Passerotti
authors.forename: Hiep
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Jose Arnaldo Shiomi da
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srougi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001746:Bladder Exstrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth; D011788:Quality of Life; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult