Q. I have heard about a bladder test called Urodynamics. What is it?



A. Urodynamics involves placing a small catheter in the bladder after the patient has urinated to first evaluate the amount of residual urine in the bladder. Normally, a patient should be able to empty the bladder. The bladder is then passively filled to examine normal bladder filling and to detect sudden bladder contractions. The catheter is then removed and the patient is asked to cough as the physician observes for leakage.

Urodynamics is typically used in situations where there is mixed incontinence, poor response to medical therapy, complex history, neurologic derangement or sometimes prior to surgery. This is not a single test but a combination of tests that are used to evaluate the function of the bladder. The evaluation of incontinence takes into consideration many factors, including the patient’s function ability, symptoms, physical findings, laboratory tests, and urodynamics if needed. While urodynamics can add important information in evaluating patients with incontinence, the patient’s history of illness and physical examination are still the most critical parts of the evaluation.

For more information, talk to your doctor or contact Adult & Pediatric Urology at 330-345-5533.