On Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. EST, Children's Hospital Boston's Center for Bladder Exstrophy Care & Support team will host a live interactive discussion on exstrophy of the bladder, a complex combination of disorders that occurs during fetal development. Diagnosis, surgical treatment, and lifelong management will be discussed in addition to excerpts of a complete repair procedure, taped earlier this year. Also, a family from the support group will share their perspective on having a child with exstrophy of the bladder. This 60-minute Webcast on OR-Live.com is part of Children's ongoing effort to bring advanced care and technology to specialists and referring physicians around the world, and to educate patients and families about the latest and most innovative medical treatments available.Bladder exstrophy is a rare, complex congenital anomaly that involves the urinary, reproductive and intestinal tracts, as well as the musculoskeletal system. Approximately 400 new cases of bladder exstrophy are diagnosed each year in the United States, and males are affected 1.5 to 2.3 times more often than females. With bladder exstrophy, the abdominal wall and underlying structures do not properly fuse in utero, when the baby is developing, and the infant is born with the bladder exposed inside-out on the outside of the body. Because the bladder and other structures are exposed, urine constantly trickles onto the skin causing local irritation. Associated conditions can include a widened pubic bone, abnormally-shaped and weakened abdominal muscles, and a shorter than average urethra and vagina or penis. The disorder may occur in varying degrees from mild to severe. It is most often diagnosed by fetal ultrasound, but can be diagnosed at birth.

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