Complex Pediatric Reconstructive Urology Surgery

At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, we provide leading-edge complex reconstructive urology surgery. Your child is in good hands with our surgeons, who make up one of the top pediatric urology programs in the country. Our team has successfully treated every type of pediatric urology condition.

Pediatric Reconstructive Urology: Why Choose Us

We specialize in conditions that affect the function of the genitourinary system. The genitourinary system includes the kidneys, bladder, ureters (tubes that connect the bladder and kidneys), urethra (where urine exits the body) and genitals. Our program offers:

  • Experience: We’ve performed thousands of reconstructive urology surgeries, so you can feel confident in our surgeons’ knowledge and experience. No matter how delicate or complex the procedure, our experts have the expertise to handle it.
  • Complete care: We have every medical and surgical specialty available to help your child. Our pediatric urologists team up with other CHLA specialists to provide effective and seamless care. For example, we work closely with nephrology for kidney issues before kidney transplantation or our pediatric surgeons for cloacal malformations.
  • Leading research: At Children’s Hospital, your child also has access to one of the most advanced pediatric urology research programs in the country. As part of our research, eligible children receive advanced treatments that may not be available elsewhere. Learn more about pediatric urology research and clinical trials.
  • Early diagnosis: Our advanced Fetal Urology team diagnoses urology conditions before birth. We can plan for your baby’s delivery and care during your pregnancy, explain the diagnosis and answer your questions before your baby arrives. A clinical study showed that these consultations significantly decrease stress in expectant mothers. We also offer telehealth fetal urology appointments for added convenience. Learn more about our Fetal Urology program.

Pediatric Reconstructive Urology: Conditions We Treat

Our pediatric urology surgeons offer reconstruction for the genitourinary system when necessary for physical health. Learn more about our approach to pediatric urology diagnosis and treatment.

Conditions we treat include:

  • Bladder exstrophy: Bladder exstrophy is a rare congenital (present at birth) condition that causes the bladder to develop outside the body. This condition also causes abnormal development of the genitals.
  • Cloacal abnormalities: Cloacal malformations are rare deformities that cause the female bladder, vagina and rectum to connect together and drain into one common channel.
  • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH): Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a disorder that affects the adrenal glands. CAH causes hormone imbalances that can lead to illness, growth problems and genital differences.
  • Hypospadias: Hypospadias is an abnormal location of the urethra. This causes urine to exit the body at a different location.
  • Neurogenic bladder: Neurogenic bladder happens when the brain cannot send messages to the bladder. These messages may be lost because of spine damage from spina bifida or a spinal cord injury. Neurogenic bladder can lead to incontinence (wetting or urine accidents), infections or other complications without treatment.
  • Posterior urethral valves: Posterior urethral valves are flaps of tissue that block the flow of urine into the urethra and can lead to damaged kidneys.

Bladder Exstrophy Treatment in Our Bladder Exstrophy Center of Excellence

CHLA is one of only eight bladder exstrophy Centers of Excellence in the U.S. The Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community gives this distinction to programs that deliver the highest standards of care for bladder exstrophy. People with bladder exstrophy need lifelong care from doctors who specialize in this rare condition.

Our Fetal Urology experts can diagnose bladder exstrophy during pregnancy. Then we provide families with a comprehensive treatment and delivery plan. Each family’s care plan prepares them for their baby’s birth and any needed treatments after delivery.

Bladder exstrophy repair

Babies who have bladder exstrophy require surgery shortly after birth. Only a specialist with extensive experience in bladder exstrophy should perform this surgery. Bladder exstrophy surgery is reconstructive and requires a team of experts, including urologists, orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care physicians and nurses.

At CHLA, our team to carefully reconstructs the bladder and genitals. Our surgeons are among the most experienced in the country in these highly specialized procedures.

Neurogenic Bladder Treatment

Not every child needs surgery to treat neurogenic bladder. Instead, your child may do well with medicine or other noninvasive treatments.

We offer urodynamics testing, which shows how well the bladder stores and empties urine. This test can tell when a child with neurogenic bladder needs surgery and which procedure is best. We also provide minimally invasive and robotic pediatric urology surgery, which involves smaller incisions and a shorter recovery.

If reconstructive surgery will benefit your child, our pediatric urologists are experts in these procedures. They have successfully performed thousands of neurogenic bladder surgeries, including:

  • Bladder augmentation
  • Bladder neck reconstruction for incontinence
  • Mitrofanoff or Monti catheterizable channel
  • Sling to support the bladder for incontinence
  • Stoma, or special opening, for urine

Our pediatric urologists also work with pediatric surgeons to perform Antegrade Colonic Enemas (ACE) procedures. ACE treats constipation in children, and our team can perform it at the same time as other urology surgeries.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Surgery in Our CAH Center of Excellence

CHLA is a designated Center of Excellence for CAH. The CARES (Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Research, Education and Support) Foundation provides this designation. To earn it, programs must provide the highest level of medical and surgical care for children with CAH.

Our pediatric urology surgeons have decades of experience treating children with CAH. If your child needs surgery to restore function of the genitalia, our surgeons are highly experienced in this specialized surgery.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Clinic

Children with CAH often require care from various medical specialties. That’s why we offer a multidisciplinary Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Clinic. Our unique team of specialized doctors, nurses and other health providers includes experts in:

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