From 2007 to date, fi ve boys with bladder exstrophy underwent this pre-emptive treatment of inguinal hernia at our institution. None has developed a recurrence after a median (range) follow-up of 29 (5 – 46) months. This approach avoids any manipulation of the inguinal canal, which is an advantage per se, but may be even more important in children with bladder exstrophy given the relatively high risk of hernia recurrence reported [ 1,2 ] . Furthermore, the presence of a pelvic diastasis makes the pelvic dissection of the cord easier than in normal children with a closed pelvic ring. The same procedure can also possibly be performed in children with a congenital inguinal hernia undergoing other procedures that require dissection of the perivesical space, e.g. ureteric re-implantation or ureterocoele repair.
