July 2, 2005 --

Sara Morris-KFOX Morning News Reporter

Little Logan Langer was born with his bladder outside of his body, a rare condition called Bladder Exstrophy that required immediate surgery. In our Health Watch Report, we learn what doctors did, in order to help give Logan a chance at a normal life.

Logan Langer races his brother Connor into the basement playroom. He thinks only of fun, not about being born with a serious birth defect.

Logan Langer-Exstrophy Patient: "I was born with my bladder inside out. That was freaky."

Actually, Logan, who just turned nine, was born with his bladder split open and outside of his body. A rare condition that's not easy for Logan's mom, Kari, to talk about.

Kari Langer-Logan's Mom: "When he was a day old he went into surgery."

Dr. Stephen Kramer-Urologist: "Just imagine a basketball or balloon, take a knife and split it right down the middle. That's what we were dealing with."

Dr. Stephen Kramer says if kids like Logan have surgery in the first days of life

Dr. Stephen Kramer-Urologist: "We can close the bladder, push it back into the abdomen and then pull the muscles together."

Major surgery that worked for Logan. But as he grew, his bladder didn't. He constantly leaked urine and had to wear pull ups, and kids teased him. So when Logan was six, he had another surgery. Dr. Kramer used part of Logan's intestines to enlarge his bladder. Then he used more intestine to make what's called a stoma; a conduit from the bladder to an opening right below Logan's belly button. Now, Logan uses a catheter to urinate.

If Logan had been born before this surgery was available, he would have had to have an outside bag to collect urine, but now he can be a regular kid.

If you would like more medical news, visit our health partners websites:

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center:http://www.mdanderson.org/

The Mayo Clinic:http://www.medicaledge.org

Baylor College of Medicine:http://public.bcm.tmc.edu/