For Health Care Professionals | Overview
Whether you are a primary care physician, urologist, or other medical professional, you may find urodynamics to be very beneficial for the evaluation and management of certain pediatric patients. These patients should initially be evaluated by a pediatric urologist, who will consider referring to the Urodynamics Program. A pediatric urologist should always evaluate these patients first. Consider referring to the Urodynamics Program in the following scenarios.
For children with urinary incontinence only:
Children with urinary incontinence and no known anatomic or neurological abnormalities may need to be referred to Urodynamics when other methods of treatment, including a combination of drugs and behavioral modification strategies to help achieve dryness, have failed to correct the problem.
Children with recurring urinary tract infections:
Children with recurring urinary tract infections and or radiologic abnormalities may be are usually referred to Urodynamics for further evaluation.
Children with neurological conditions:
In most cases, children with neurological conditions, such as spina bifida, should be referred to Urodynamics when they are a newborn, since these children can experience progressive changes in the neurological function of the bladder as they age. Urodynamics tests are typically repeated periodically throughout their development.
Children with anatomical conditions:
Referral to Urodynamics may be indicated when imaging tests (such as ultrasound or x-ray) reveal changes in the appearance of the upper urinary tract that suggest an alteration in bladder function.
A Urologist may advise a urodynamic evaluation in children with other anatomical conditions such as bladder exstrophy/epispadias or other anorectal malformations. It is also important to follow the child’s progress as they grow. Urodynamics will provide clinical information to aid in decisions regarding means of therapy and improving a child’s overall treatment plan.
If you are a referring provider, please call us at 617-355-6171 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.