Urinary Incontinence

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Urinary incontinence is a very common condition. It occurs in as many as one out of four women above forty years old. However, it can be successfully treated and/or cured in most cases. In fact, most patients can be addressed without surgery - that is, with medications, behavioral changes, and exercises. we take this problem seriously and offer state of the art testing to correctly diagnose the origin of incontinence and successfully treat it.

URODYNAMIC TESTING

          

Urodynamic testing looks at how well your bladder, urethra and muscles (sphincters) that control voiding work. These tests help your doctor in treating problems you may have with storing urine or voiding (eliminating urine). Urodynamic testing contains the following tests:

• Cystometrogram (CMG)
• Urethral pressure Profile (UPP)
• Pressure Flow Study
• Uroflowometry (VFR)

How to prepare for the test?

You will be asked to come to the test with a “full bladder”.  For most women, this is best accomplished by drinking a 16 oz. glass of water 30 minutes prior to the test time.  The water will have time to process through your body and be in the bladder for the beginning of test.  If you drink while sitting in the waiting room, that water will make its way to your bladder in the middle of the testing, and make it difficult to obtain accurate results.

 

What to expect during the test?

During the testing, a catheter (small tube) will be placed into your urethra (passage from your bladder where urine comes out).  This will test how much urine is left in the bladder after you have urinated (post void residual).  Then sterile water will be placed in your bladder through this catheter.  Measurements will be made of how much fluid your bladder can hold (capacity) and how your bladder behaves at different levels of “fullness”.  You will be asked to tell the staff when you have the first urge to urinate (pass water), when you have a strong urge to urinate, and when your bladder feels really full and you would stop whatever you were doing to rush to the bathroom.  Measurements will be taken at all of these points.  You will also be asked to cough or bear down, again to see how your bladder functions and if this activity causes you to leak urine.