Pediatric Urology

[livingwith]

Izabella was 4 months old when she got her first febrile UTI She was not eating well and had a 101 fever. We were treated with antibiotics for 5 days in hospital. They did a VCUG considering her age.
We found out she had grade 2-3 bilateral reflux, and then started seeing a doctor at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, CA. We chose antibiotic therapy for 8 months checked her again at 1 year with another VCUG and found she was a grade 3 bilateral. Please know Izabella had at least 2 or 3 b...Read the full article

[tricia2jacob]

Wow! Izabella must be a real trooper! My daughter hasn't had surgery yet...it hasn't even been discussed, but I honestly wish we would discuss it because I feel like resolution would be good. Your post makes me wonder though. I have to tell you, I would have made the same decision as you did initially to have the open surgery. I've read about the deflux and I'm just not sure about it. I guess I just figure if you're going to do surgery, you should go for the one with the highest success rate. We started out with Bactrim antibiotic therapy and have now switched to Macrodantin due to resistance to the sulfa drugs. Jocelyn has had one breakthrough infection that we know of, but she has no symptoms of a UTI whatsoever, so not sure how many others she's had. Did Izabella go through that too, or did you know when she had one? I'm not a huge fan of long-term use of antibiotics anyway, and that fact that she's becoming immune just frustrates the issue. Please keep us updated on Izabella Rose's progress. She will be in our family's thoughts and prayers. Bless her for being so strong!!

[Irina]

Hi Denise
Here is our story:
My daughter Michelle was diagnosed with bilateral reflux when she was 2 years old in 2002 after couple of febrile UTIs. There were grade 3 / 4 and 1. After 1 year of macrodantin they became 3 and 2, another year-3 and 3. We visited Pediatric Urologist in Stanford children hospital. Michelle did not have any febrile infection since but we had a problem to have her VCUG done since 4 years old. We came for procedure, try to have it and went home unsuccessful, reschedule and so on….it’s separate story… anyway…
In November 2006 (Michelle was 6 already and 4 years on macrodantin) we made a decision to have surgery. So it was done on June 2007 (nobody hurry up so we waited for school vacation). Post –operation time was terrible, we spent 6 days in the hospital as she did not urinated herself, so they put catheter 4 times to empty her bladder. Finally she was released with catheter for 8 days. I can not describe how we lived that time… but, on follow-up appointment in 8 days it was removed and she started to pee.. No problem was after, she recovered successfully as nothing happened, but… on follow-up VCUG in 4 months was find out that only one side was fixed , other still have reflux. We were shocked…
I run to San Francisco University Children Urology for second opinion. They told me that Michelle just unlucky, but recommended to take her off from medication and live normal life. She is 7+ now and her kidney already grown. She supposed empty her bladder often and do not have constipation.
Stanford urologist insisted that surgery was successful, but her post-op urine retention could break already fixed reflux . We had VCUG on May, condition the same. I am not giving Michelle any medication since last December, check her urine in a lab every 2-3 months, helping her with constipation if any. But again, she is a big girl who can tell if something wrong with her.
Irina