The Giessen-Mainz-Frankfurt procedure: a new method for complex pelvic reconstruction for bladder exstrophy.

In bladder exstrophy primary reconstruction remains the gold standard worldwide. Despite various types of osteotomies the permanent correction of pubic diastasis remains a challenge. In maxillofacial surgery callus distraction is a routine treatment for hypoplastic mandibles. Originally described by Ilizarov, this method provides stable and true bone lengthening after gradual distraction of an osteotomy site as long as the periosteum remains intact. In cooperation with the departments of maxillofacial surgery and orthopedics we used this technique to correct pubic diastasis and facilitate phallic reconstruction in a 4 1/2-year-old boy with bladder exstrophy who had previously undergone cont…