Highest-ranked program on the West Coast
Our program is a world leader in the treatment of complex genital conditions and bladder malformations. At Seattle Children’s, we have excellent results caring for babies, children and teens with conditions that affect their urinary tract or genitals. We treat more patients with hypospadias than any other center in the region. We are the region’s only referral center for patients born with bladder exstrophy.
With a top-10 national ranking by U.S. News & World Report for 2020-21, our Urology Program is the highest-ranked program on the West Coast.
Seattle Children’s News
Improving Hypospadias Outcomes Through Novel Research
The current standard treatment for hypospadias starts with the provider defining the severity of the condition. Dr. Nicolas Fernandez, a pediatric urologist at Seattle Children’s and surgeon scientist at the University of Washington, is working on a research project that aims to reduce this subjectivity and explore new approaches to better assess structural and genetic components of the tissue used for surgery.
A Surgeon’s Legacy Advances Surgical Care in India
A decade ago, the late Seattle Children’s surgeon, Dr. Richard Grady, began traveling to India for a special mission — to provide urgent surgical care to children born with a rare and complex disorder called bladder exstrophy (BE).
Dr. Paul Merguerian, division chief of urology at Seattle Children’s, who is helping to carry on Grady’s inspirational work, recalls his colleague’s passionate commitment to care for children not only in the Pacific Northwest region, but in a country located more than 7,000 miles across the globe.
Seattle Children’s on the A-BE-C Blog
Dr. William Reiner Receives 2023 Humanitarian Award
A-BE-C recently presented its Richard W. Grady Humanitarian Award to Dr. William Reiner, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Urology. Dr Reiner, a world-renowned Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, spent his career focused on the psychological aspects of bladder exstrophy.
A One-of-a-kind, Worldwide Collaboration
A-BE-C is so proud to be a part of the annual Bladder Exstrophy workshop which celebrated its 15th year in January!!! After two days of extensive discussion and five days of complex surgeries, I can’t thank Civil Hospital enough for their ongoing commitment to our beautiful children and families living with bladder exstrophy.
Resilience: Overcoming Obstacles to Impact Lives Around the Globe
Anna Artigas, daughter of Executive Director Pamela Artigas, is traveling with A-BE-C for the 2023 International Exstrophy Workshop in Uganda as part of a service project to provide support to teens with exstrophy.
Dr. John Gearhart Receives 2022 Humanitarian Award
A-BE-C recently presented its Richard W. Grady Humanitarian Award to John P. Gearhart, M.D., Johns Hopkins Professor of Pediatrics and Urology. The distinguished award was presented during the 2022 International Exstrophy Conference in Baltimore, MD.
The US-India Bladder Exstrophy Collaborative
Since 2009, a team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, social workers, and other healthcare providers from hospitals in India and the U.S. have worked together to help more children in Asia and Africa receive the complex surgery necessary to address bladder exstrophy.
ARTICLE: Patient-reported outcomes in adult females with bladder exstrophy
An article based on a survey conducted in 2019 by Seattle Children’s and A-BE-C regarding adult females with exstrophy and their long-term sexual, reproductive, and urinary outcomes has been published.
Family Finds Hope and Support at Seattle Children’s
Family shares their story and thankfulness for the A-BE-C community and the team at Seattle Children’s.
Re-Released! 2015 International Exstrophy Conference Videos
Sessions from the 2015 conference focused on the medical, social, emotional, and practical aspects of living with exstrophy.
A-BE-C Elects Dr. Paul Merguerian as Advisory Board Chair
A-BE-C recently elected Dr. Paul Merguerian to a two year term as Advisory Board Chair. Our board helps to shape and guide the strategy of the organization and is vital to the success of our mission: To make the highest standards of treatment, care and support within reach of all people affected by bladder exstrophy.
8 U.S. hospitals are best-in-class for bladder exstrophy
The Association for the Bladder Exstrophy Community (A-BE-C) wants to shorten the time it takes families to find complete and…