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Patients & Visitors

Urology

D11

Urodynamics

What does the procedure involve?

Urodynamics is a study that assesses how the bladder and urethra (water pipe) are performing their job of storing and releasing urine. Urodynamic tests help your doctor see how well your bladder and sphincter muscles work and can help explain symptoms such as incontinence, urgency and difficulty emptying the bladder.

What should I expect on my visit for this procedure?

This test is carried out in a room that provides privacy.  It is performed with the aid of a small amount of local anaesthetic gel passed into the urethra (water pipe).

The test will usually be performed by a Specialist Nurse. On arrival in the department, you will be asked to pass urine into a device called a flow-rate machine so please ensure that you arrive with your bladder comfortably full.

You will be positioned comfortably on a couch and two very small tubes inserted, one into the urethra (water pipe) and the other into the anus (back passage). After the tubes have been inserted, your bladder will be emptied and the tubes connected to the measuring apparatus to commence the urodynamic study.

During the test, your bladder will be filled slowly with water at a measured rate. You will be asked to cough at intervals and to tell us when you first feel the desire to pass urine. You will then be encouraged to hold on until your bladder feels quite full. If one of your symptoms is leakage of urine, we will try to reproduce this so that we can see what the bladder is doing when the leakage occurs. Patients often find this embarrassing but it is a necessary part of the information needed to treat your symptoms. Be reassured that it is an important part of the test and that we will do all we can to be as supportive as possible during this process. 

Finally you will be asked to pass urine into the flow machine and the tubes will then be removed and you will be able to dress while the results of the test are analysed.

The urology specialist nurse will discuss the results with you and an outpatient appointment made for you to see the consultant who will review the results and talk to you about any further treatment.

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