Urodynamics Evaluation

Urodynamic testing is done to evaluate bladder function, how the bladder muscle, sphincters, and urethra hold and release urine. This test gives your provider a detailed view of your urinary issues.

Urodynamics help find the cause of problems related to:

• Urinary leakage or loss of urinary control
• Bladder emptying issues
• Frequent urination
• Urinary urgency
• Weak urine flow
• Urine flow stopping and starting (“intermittency”)

A typical urodynamics test takes about 30 minutes to perform. Your urodynamics test will be performed by one of our nursing staff. It involves the use of two small catheters with pressure transducers, one placed in the bladder and the other in the rectum. The bladder catheter is used to fill the bladder, and both catheters record important measurements.

Information Obtained Through Urodynamics Testing:

• Uroflowmetry This test allows your provider to see the volume of urine that is eliminated, which shows how efficiently the bladder empties. Free uroflowmetry measures your voiding pattern and how fast you empty your bladder. When you come in for your urodynamics evaluation, you will be asked to arrive with a full bladder and urinate in a special container that will measure this.
• Post-void residual volume After the initial uroflow void, the remaining urine volume will be measured. This is an assessment of your emptying ability.
• Multichannel cystometry This test measures the pressure in the bladder and in the rectum by using two pressure catheters to deduce the presence of contractions and evaluate the function of the bladder wall during bladder filling and emptying. Using a cough or Valsalva maneuver during the test can confirm and characterize stress incontinence.
• Electromyography (EMG) This measures the electrical activity of the urinary sphincter. At Urology Care P.C., we use a patch electrode applied to your skin to obtain this information.