20-Year Wait Ends with Life-Changing Bladder Surgery for Young Man Born Without Urination Control

young man who had been unable to pass urine naturally since birth due to a spinal defect and had developed kidney damage as a result of continuous leakage, has now been given a new life thanks to a rare and complex surgery performed by doctors at KIMS ICON Hospital, Visakhapatnam. He is now able to live a normal life, and his kidneys have also been safeguarded. Dr. Kucherlapati Abhiram, Consultant Urologist & Andrologist, Laparoscopic & Reconstructive Surgeon at the hospital, shared the details of this extraordinary case.

The 18-year-old degree student, hailing from a poor farming family, had a congenital defect in his spine known in medical terms as Spinal Myelomeningocele. This condition had damaged his nerves and severely affected the functioning of his urinary bladder. The bladder had become extremely small and contracted, making it impossible for him to urinate voluntarily. As a result, urine would leak constantly, causing repeated infections and silent damage to his kidneys. The leakage also led to severe social embarrassment, preventing him from mingling with others.

“Due to the bladder’s inability to expand and contract, he couldn’t urinate normally. To resolve this, our urology team Dr. P. Muralikrishna, Dr. K. Abhiram, and Dr. K. Sandeep Reddy decided to perform a two-stage complex reconstructive surgery,” explained Dr. Abhiram.

In the first stage, the bladder was augmented (enlarged) using a segment of his intestine, which helped reduce internal pressure and gave the bladder more capacity. In the next stage, a procedure called the Mitrofanoff Procedure was performed. For this, the patient’s appendix was used to create a narrow channel from the bladder to the belly button. Through this channel, he can now insert a fine catheter tube and drain urine safely, three times a day, under complete control.

“This stopped the urine leakage, and his kidney function also improved significantly. He is now able to urinate in a clean, discreet, and independent manner. It was a highly challenging surgery, but this was the only viable solution to protect his kidneys and quality of life. Post-surgery, he has recovered fully, and his kidney function has returned to near normal,” said Dr. Abhiram.

Speaking about his transformation, the young man said, “Earlier, I was always embarrassed and avoided social situations due to constant leakage. I never knew when I’d lose control. But now I feel like a normal person again. Everything is working fine without any issues. Doctors said this is a permanent solution, which gives me a lot of hope and confidence.”