To characterize the clinical characteristics of a group of children with neurogenic bladder, high leak point pressures (LPPs), bladder wall changes, and hydronephrosis in whom medical management failed, who then underwent vesicostomy. Medical management can, rarely, fail in children with neurogenic bladder, high LPPs, bladder wall changes, and hydronephrosis. When it does, surgical intervention is necessary.

Between 1988 and 2001, 8 girls with spina bifida (4 with thoracic and 4 with lumbosacral) underwent vesicostomy after medical management. All had undergone neonatal back closure and five had ventriculoperitoneal shunts. The mean follow-up after vesicostomy was 6 years.

High-grade reflux was present at birth in 3 patients and developed later in 3 patients at 1 year. Two had undergone ureteral reimplantation before vesicostomy. Four girls had trabeculation at birth and it developed in three at 1 year and one at 3 years. Hydronephrosis was present at birth in 2 patients and developed later in 6. High LPPs were noted at younger than 10 months of age in 6 patients. Oral oxybutynin was begun in 7 patients before 1 year of age and 5 were later given intravesical oxybutynin. Six patients began clean intermittent catheterization in infancy. The indications for vesicostomy were persistently elevated LPPs and hydronephrosis. Six had recurrent urinary tract infections. The mean age at vesicostomy was 3 years. Hydronephrosis resolved in 7 patients, and only 1 had additional febrile urinary tract infections. Two underwent reversal along with bladder augmentation and were continent at last follow-up.

A small subset of girls with spina bifida are unresponsive to early and intensive medical therapy. Most have high LPPs and bladder wall and upper tract changes early in infancy. Vesicostomy reverses the clinical course. At an appropriate age, these children can undergo reconstruction with a high likelihood of continence.