
Patent urachal tube repair
Patent urachus repair is surgery to repair a bladder defect. In an open (or patent) urachus, there is an opening between the bladder and the umbilicus that should not be there. An open urachus occurs mostly in infants.
Children who have this surgery will receive general anesthesia (asleep and pain-free).
The surgeon will make an incision (cut) in the lower belly. Next the surgeon will locate the urachal tube and remove it. The bladder opening will be repaired, and the incision will be closed.
The surgery can also be done with a laparoscope, an instrument that has a tiny camera and light on the end.
This surgery can be done in children as young as 6 months.
Surgery is recommended for a patent urachus that does not close after birth. If the urachal tube is not removed and closed:
Frimberger D, Kropp BP. Bladder anomalies in children. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 121.