Mitrofanoff appendicovesicostomy, also known as the Mitrofanoff procedure, is a surgical procedure in which the appendix is used to create a conduit between the skin surface and the urinary bladder.[1]
Contents |
In the procedure, the surgeon separates the appendix from its attachment to the cecum, while maintaining its blood supply, then creates an opening at its blind end and washes it. One end is connected by surgical sutures to the urinary bladder, and the other is connected to the skin to form a stoma. Generally, an incision is made into the umbilicus so it may serve as the canal for the catheter.
Urine is typically drained several times a day by use of a catheter inserted into the Mitrofanoff canal.
The procedure is typically performed when the normal outlet is blocked (as in urethral cancer) or when frequent, often uncomfortable, catheterizations are needed (as in neurogenic bladder).
The most common patients who undergo this procedure are those who are dependent on catheterization to eliminate urine, such as paraplegic individuals (typically those born with spina bifida). The Mitrofanoff procedure allows the individual to self-catheterize, so assistance from a family member or a medical professional is not needed.
The Mitrofanoff procedure has been found to improve the lives of people with spinal cord injuries, by increasing their independence.[2]
The Malone antegrade continence enema (MACE), used to treat fecal incontinence, is like the Mitrofanoff procedure as it uses the Mitrofanoff principle and, thus, can be considered an analogous procedure.
As fecal and urinary incontinence frequently co-exist, a MACE is often created at the same time as a continent catheterizable urinary conduit.[3]
If the vermiform appendix is not available, due to appendectomy, or unusable for another reason, the Monti procedure is done.[4]