A Chinese urologist developed a novel procedure to connect a functioning, healthy lumbar spinal nerve to the sacral nerve that controls the bladder. Hundreds of these procedures have been done in China. The end result is the creation of a new reflex where the bladder can be emptied by scratching or stimulating the skin (over the hip or thigh) supplied by that spinal nerve root. The Chinese physician had reported that of 92 SCI patients, 88% regained bladder control within one year after the nerve rerouting surgery and in 110 children with spina bifida, the reported success was 87% at one year. However, in China rigorous follow up is challenging, therefore much is still unknown about how the nerves regenerate post surgery, complications and results occurring in the first year in particular, and the potential role that central nervous system remodeling may play in achieving successful outcomes. Beaumont urologists were the first in the US to perform this surgery on children with spina bifida. Our preliminary data are very promising, and in 9 subjects at 12 months post procedure, 7/9 subjects could void either voluntarily or by stimulating the new reflex mechanism.