Background: The surgical management of urinary bladder exstrophy is challenging. This paper describes the personal experience in a tertiary care hospital over a period exceeding a quarter of a century. Methods: During the period 1984-2010, 248 patients of the epispadias-exstrophy complex have been treated. The cases of classical bladder exstrophy (n = 210) form the basis of this paper. The stages/procedures used in the surgical reconstruction of bladder exstrophy included bladder closure with anterior abdominal wall reconstruction, bladder neck repair, ureteric reimplantation, epispadias repair and augmentation colocystoplasty in various combinations. Some of these patients had their initial operations done prior to 1984 or in other hospitals. Evaluation methods included, amongst others, clinical evaluation and urodynamic assessment. Eight patients opted out of treatment; 15 patients underwent permanent urinary diversion by either ureterosigmoidostomy or colon conduit. The remaining 187 patients were treated with bladder reconstruction, and of these, 132 patients have had at least one attempt at bladder neck reconstruction with 56 of these patients having undergone an augmentation colocystoplasty. Results: A total of 105 patients had socially acceptable continence: 57 from the bladder neck reconstruction group and 48 from the bladder augmentation group. Further attempts at continence surgery have been offered to the inadequately continent patients. Conclusions: Surgical management of bladder exstrophy demands patience and perseverance. It is possible to provide all patients with socially acceptable continence with bladder neck division and catheterizable continent stoma as the last resort. Urodynamic assessment has emerged as an essential tool in the follow-up evaluation of these patients. Anticholinergic medication with imipramine or oxybutinin is a useful adjunct in the overall management.

Aim: To assess the various epidemiological parameters that influence the causation of trauma as well as the consequent morbidity and mortality in the pediatric age group. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of 791 patients of less than 12 years age, was carried out over a period of 1 year (August 2009 to July 2010), and pediatric trauma trends, with regards to the following parameters were assessed: Age group, sex, mode of trauma, type of injury, place where the trauma occurred and the overall mortality as well as mortality. Results: Overall trauma was most common in the school-going age group (6-12 years), with male children outnumbering females in the ratio of 1.9:1. It was observed that orthopedic injuries were the most frequent (37.8%) type of injuries, whereas fall from height (39.4%), road traffic accident (27.8%) and burns (15.2%) were the next most common modes of trauma. Home was found out to be the place where maximum trauma occurred (51.8%). Maximum injuries happened unintentionally (98.4%). Overall mortality was found out to be 6.4% (n = 51). Conclusions: By knowing the epidemiology of pediatric trauma, we conclude that majority of pediatric injuries are preventable and pediatric epidemiological trends differ from those in adults. Therefore, preventive strategies should be made in pediatric patients on the basis of these epidemiological trends.

Aim: The aim was to identify the position of sigmoid colon in children and discuss its clinical significance. Materials and Methods: Ninety-one contrast enema studies were retrospectively evaluated and the position of sigmoid colon categorized as below: Left lower quadrant, right lower quadrant, midline, and indeterminate. Results: The position of sigmoid colon in the right lower quadrant, left lower quadrant, midline, and indeterminate was 32 (35.16%), 33 (36.26%), 12 (13.19%), and 14 (15.38%), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in mean age (P = 0.87) or gender prevalence (P = 0.49) for different positions of the sigmoid colon. Conclusion: The sigmoid colon occupies the right lower quadrant in a large number of children. Awareness of this finding is of crucial importance in correct interpretation of abdominal radiographs in the emergency room.

Background and Aim: It is difficult to suture an extremely thin and billowed up congenital eventration of the diaphragm thoracoscopically, without insufflation. Materials and Methods: The authors describe their technique using an intestinal clamp to control the redundant tissue and a feeding tube as a flexible knot pusher, to perform the thoracoscopic plication without risking hypercapnia. Results: A satisfactory result was obtained in all the four children. Conclusion: This is a useful adjunctive for thoracoscopic plication of diaphragmatic eventration.

Aim: To compare the complications of two methods of placement of central venous catheters. Materials and Methods: One hundred neonates had percutaneously inserted central venous catheters and another 100 had the catheters placed after surgical incision and vein location. Results : No statistical difference was noted in the complication rate or efficacy Conclusions : Both the methods are equally safe and effective.

Formation of stones in repaired exstrophy bladder is common; however, erosion of stone through the repaired bladder and anterior abdominal wall has never been reported. We report one such case of erosion after three years of repair.

Report of a neonate with a huge mass protruding from the oral cavity. The mass has originated from the base of the tongue. Successful excision and histopathological examination revealed it to be a malignant epignathus.

Crystal jelly balls are used for decorative purpose in homes and offices. They swell on contact with water. We managed a patient with a clinical diagnosis of acute abdomen. At surgery, there was fecal peritonitis and three ileal perforations caused by previously ingested decorative crystal balls.

In this paper, we aim to highlight a case report of a rare association of anomalies comprising patent urachus, double urethra and development of testicular teratoma.

We report an 8-year-old child who underwent percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) and stenting for renal artery stenosis (RAS) and later presented with stent fracture. Ex vivo renal artery repair and renal autotransplantation were successfully done.

Blunt chest trauma resulting in right bronchial tear in an 8-year-old girl is reported. Use of bronchoscopy in the management of such an injury is highlighted.

This is a report on the use of magnetic resonance urography (MRU) in a 6-year-old girl who presented with urinary incontinence. She had a left duplex kidney with poorly functioning upper moiety and ectopic insertion of the dilated upper pole ureter. MRU has been shown to be superior to conventional imaging techniques in delineating poorly functioning moieties of duplex kidneys and ectopic ureters.