Cystourethrogram
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What is the
test?
By filling your bladder with a liquid dye that
shows up on x-rays, your doctor can watch the
motion of your bladder as it fills and empties
and can see if your urine splashes backwards
toward your kidneys as the bladder muscle squeezes.
This kind of test can help your doctor to better
understand problems with repeated urinary-tract
infections or problems involving damage to the
kidneys. It can also be useful for evaluating
urine leakage problems.
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How
do I prepare for the test?
Tell your doctor before the test if you have
ever had an allergic reaction to x-ray dye (IV
contrast dye). Also let your doctor know if there
is any chance you are pregnant.
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What
happens when the test is performed?
You wear a hospital gown and lie on a table
in the x-ray department. A part of your genital
area is cleaned with soap on a cotton swab. Then
a soft, bendable rubber tube called a urinary
catheter is inserted into your bladder, usually
by a nurse. The tube is first coated with a slippery
jelly and then pushed gently through the opening
of the urethra (at the end of the penis for men
and near the opening of the vagina for women).
You will feel some pressure while the tube slides
into the urethra. Once it is in place, a tiny
balloon on the end of the tube is filled with
air to hold it in position. The other end (about
6 inches of tubing) hangs outside of your vagina
or penis. The doctor uses this tube to fill your
bladder with fluid containing a dye that shows
up on x-rays. You will feel pressure in your
bladder as it begins to expand.
To create a clear picture, your bladder needs
to be filled with as much fluid as it can hold.
You will probably feel a very strong urge to
urinate. A few pictures are taken with the bladder
completely full, and then the balloon is emptied
and the tube is pulled out. You are given a urinal
container or a bedpan and asked to urinate while
you are still on the table under the x-ray camera.
Several pictures are taken while your bladder
is emptying. Many patients find this part of
the test embarrassing, but it is routine and
the doctor thinks nothing of it.
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What
risks are there from the test?
There is a small chance of having an allergic
reaction to the x-ray dye used in the test. Some
patients have some temporary irritation of their
urethra after the tube has been in place, and
this might result in some burning during urination
for a few hours afterward. Let your doctor know
if burning or pain with urinating lasts longer
than a day; this could mean you have developed
an infection.
As with all x-rays, there is a small exposure
to radiation. In large amounts, exposure to radiation
can cause cancers or (in pregnant women) birth
defects. The amount of radiation from x-ray tests
is very small-too small to be likely to cause
any harm. X-rays such as this kind in the pelvic
area should be avoided in pregnant women, because
the developing fetus is more sensitive to the
risks from radiation.
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Must
I do anything special after the test is over?
No.
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How
long is it before the result of the test is
known?
The x-rays require an hour or more to be developed,
and it takes some additional time for the radiologist
to examine the pictures and decide whether they
look normal. Your doctor should receive a report
within a few days.
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