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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. This opening almost always closes before birth. An open urachus occurs mostly in infants.
Children who have this surgery will receive general anesthesia (they are asleep and pain-free).
The surgeon will make a surgical cut in the child's lower belly. Next, the surgeon will find the urachal tube and remove it. The bladder opening will be repaired, and the cut 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.
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