What is UDS?
A UDS is a diagnostic procedure that is most often performed by a specially trained nurse or technician in the office setting under local anesthesia. On a comfortable urodynamic bed, a very small catheter is placed through the urinary channel into the bladder for purposes of filling the bladder with fluid and monitoring pressures. A second small catheter may also be placed just inside the anal opening to help measure the pressures that occur around the bladder during normal functioning. The UDS equipment collects volume and pressure measurements that are recorded and interpreted by a bladder specialist to asset your urologist to help determine the best management of your urinary problem.
What is the purpose of UDS?
A UDS is performed primarily to help diagnose disorders of the lower urinary tract. These include urinary leakage, symptoms of obstruction of the urinary tract, as well as symptoms that may occur in individuals with neurologic conditions. With the information gathered from urodynamics study, your physician will be better able to diagnose and thus treat a wide variety of urologic abnormalities and diseases.
What are common symptoms following UDS?
Most patients report minimal symptoms following the procedure. The catheters that are utilized are sterile catheters that are very small and placed in a medically clean manner. The test is brief in duration and most patients report only minimal discomfort from the placement of the catheters. After the procedure, some patients report a small amount of discomfort or burning with voiding for 1 to 2 days. A small amount of blood may also be noticed in between urination or when wiping following urination.
When should I call my physician?
Anytime a patient runs a temperature greater than 101 degrees or has persistent burning with urination beyond 1-2 days, they should contact their physician’s office for further tests and possible treatment.