Definition

Urodynamic study is a sophisticated office-based procedure your doctor has ordered to help define your voiding problems. This test, along with the thorough history and physical exam you already had will give your doctor the information needed to diagnose the cause and then devise an individual treatment plan tailored to you specific voiding problem.

Preparation

You will need to do certain things to prepare for this test:

• Please FINISHdrinking 500 ml of fluid (preferably water) at least 1 hour before your test time to make sure that your bladder is full for the test. You will be asked to urinate as part of this study, so do not urinate beforehand.
• Patients with foley catheters can ignore #1 above. Patients who self catheterize will still need to drink 500ml of fluid.
• If you are taking the following medications to help your bladder symptoms of urgency or leakage, you will need to stop taking them prior to your test appointment.

Stop 48 hours prior: 

• Oxybutynin or Ditropan

Stop 7 days prior:

• Vesicare

 

Do not stop taking any other medication you may be on as we will need to assess you bladder function while on your normal medications.

• Do not apply any lotions or creams to your skin, especially around genital area prior to study.
• If you are experiencing any diarrhea or digestive upset issues the day of your test, please call to reschedule as these can throw off the test results.

We ask that you come to your appointment 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time. Once you are called back for your appointment, you will be asked to urinate into a special device that will record the pattern and force of your stream. When you are finished voiding, a ‘post void residual’ measurement will be taken using a catheter. This information will be recorded for the doctor to review along with the rest of the study.

Procedure

After the ‘uroflow’ portion of the study as outlined above, your urine is checked for infection. If that is normal then you will proceed with the main portion of the test. If you have a urinary tract infection, you will be prescribed antibiotics, your urine will be cultured and your test will be rescheduled for another day. Prior to starting the study, a small sensing catheter (about the width of a coffee stirrer straw) will be placed into your bladder through your urine tube or urethra and another small sensing catheter (same size as the urethral one) will be placed into your rectum. These catheters are attached to a computer that records the study data and will be removed once the study is completed. You will be instructed on the specifics details of the test on the day of your study by your Urodynamics Nurse, who will be with you the entire time the test is underway. The catheters that were placed allow the computer to record what is happening in your bladder and your abdomen while your bladder is being slowly filled with sterile water through the urethral catheter and again when you are urinating around the catheter. This important information will ultimately help your doctor determine the root cause of your voiding problem and to devise an appropriate and individualized treatment plan to help you regain control of your bladder.

 Why Do We Do The Study?

This study provides the doctor with valuable information regarding your genitourinary system.  We are able to much the following:

• Capacity – How much does your bladder hold?
• Compliance – How well does the bladder adapt to increasing volume?
• Instability – Does your bladder contract when it should be relaxing?
• Sensation – Do you have normal bladder sensation?
• Leakage during coughing?
• How well does your sphincter mechanism work?
• Does your bladder muscle contract when you are asked to urinate? If so, how much pressure does it generate?
• What is your flow rate?
• Does your sphincter muscle relax?

The information above will allow your doctor to make the best treatment recommendation for your specific situation.

Post Procedure

After the procedure, the catheters are removed and you will go home. You may notice some stinging in the urine tube, some burning when you urinate or even some blood in your urine. This is normal after being catheterized and should go away on its own in a few hours after the first few times you urinate. It may last longer in some people. Occasionally, some patients will experience a urinary tract infection after the study. If you feel that you have a urinary tract infection, please call the office or go to the emergency room to be evaluated, if after hours.