Adin and Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV)

Video Transcript

Meg Brinker went to her doctor when she was 20 weeks pregnant, expecting to find out if she was having a boy or a girl. The technician spotted an abnormality, which led the Brinkers to Cincinnati Children’s. They received a diagnosis of posterior urethral valves (PUV), and were told that a severe bladder outlet obstruction was damaging Adin’s kidneys and inhibiting his lung development.

Pramod Reddy, MD, shares, “Adin’s particular situation, if we didn’t treat, would result in 100% mortality of that baby.”

Adin needed a vesicostomy. Meg adds, “They explained that we will do a C-section, bring your baby out, open up his abdomen, and pull the bladder forth and sew his bladder to the outside of his abdomen so that it will get the pressure off his urological system, and then put him back in.”

Adin has done remarkably well. He had his vesicostomy reversed as an infant, and then a damaged kidney removed when he was 18 months old. However, his remaining kidney has normal function and he is now a healthy 12-year-old boy.

Today Adin enjoys basketball and golf, has a lot of energy and is always on the go. PUV has not stopped him from doing anything.

“It’s actually amazing to see where Adin has reached in his life and in his care story. This is the goal we have for our children and patients in our care, to have a full life, to focus not just on their bladder, but on their whole life,” says Debbie Reeves, RN.

Dr. Reddy shares, “We established the Posterior Urethral Valves Center here at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in order to ensure that we provide a comprehensive safety net for children who are born with a diagnosis of post-urethral valves.”

With over 200 active patients, the PUV Center brings together specialists in pediatric nephrology and urology, as well as pulmonologists, developmental specialists, nutritionists and psychologists.

Dr. Reddy continues, “Having this comprehensive group of focused specialties that we know these children need is going to be really important for them as they grow and develop.”

"Somebody that steps into this diagnosis today, has one place that they can go to get the information and then follow-up with a contact directly with these doctors,” Meg concludes.

Updated: April 2020