What is Urology?

Urology: Urinary & Reproductive Disease Diagnosis & Treatment

Urology treats urinary tract diseases in all genders and male reproductive issues, covering the kidneys, bladder, prostate, urethra, from infections to complex cancers.

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The Diagnostic Strategy at Liv Hospital

Neurogenic Bladder

Diagnosing Neurogenic Bladder is complex because a patient’s symptoms often do not match what is happening in the body. Someone may leak urine but actually have severe retention. Another person may feel no pain, but their kidneys are being damaged by high pressure. This is why Urodynamics is the key test. At Liv Hospital, we use a thorough “Neuro-Urological” evaluation protocol.

Clinical Assessment

The Neuro-Urological History: We pay close attention to neurological history, including bowel function (constipation often occurs due to shared nerves, called “neurogenic bowel”), sexual function (erectile dysfunction can mean nerve damage), and symptoms like numbness, weakness, vision changes (which may suggest MS), or back pain. We also check hand dexterity and thinking skills, since these affect the ability to manage bladder care, such as self-catheterization.

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The Voiding Diary

Neurogenic Bladder

A 3-day log recording fluid intake, voided volumes, and leakage episodes. In neurogenic patients who catheterize, we record the volumes of catheterization. This helps calculate Functional Bladder Capacity, Polyuria, and leakage patterns. It is essential for determining the frequency of catheterization needed.

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Pad Testing

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 To measure incontinence, we may do a 1-hour or 24-hour pad test. The patient wears absorbent pads that are weighed before and after use. This gives an exact measurement of urine loss per day, which helps us assess how severe the condition is and track treatment progress.

Physical Examination

  • Abdominal Exam: Palpation for a distended bladder or renal masses.
  • Focused Neurological Exam (Sacral Reflexes):
    • Perineal Sensation: Testing sensation in the S2-S4 dermatomes (saddle area). Loss of sensation suggests a peripheral or cauda equina lesion.
    • Anal Sphincter Tone: Digital rectal exam to assess resting tone and voluntary contraction. A lax sphincter suggests a lower motor neuron lesion.
    • Bulbocavernosus Reflex (BCR): Squeezing the glans penis or clitoris should reflexively cause the anal sphincter to contract.
      • Present BCR: Indicates the Sacral reflex arc is intact (Suprasacral lesion/Upper Motor Neuron).
      • Absent BCR: Indicates the Sacral reflex arc is destroyed (Sacral/Infrasacral lesion/Lower Motor Neuron).
    • Deep Tendon Reflexes: Hyperactive reflexes (knee/ankle) and Babinski sign suggest an upper motor neuron lesion; absent reflexes suggest lower motor neuron pathology.
Neurogenic Bladder

Laboratory Investigations

Urinalysis and culture are mandatory to rule out infection. In neurogenic patients, Asymptomatic Bacteriuria (bacteria without symptoms) is common and often does not require treatment, whereas symptomatic UTI (fever, malaise, increased spasticity, foul smell) requires aggressive therapy. Renal Function Tests: Serum Creatinine and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) are crucial. In high-pressure neurogenic bladders (DSD), renal failure is a “silent killer.” An elevated creatinine in a neurogenic patient warrants immediate upper tract imaging to rule out obstruction.

Specialized Diagnostic Tests

Ultrasound (USG) and Post-Void Residual (PVR)

  • PVR: A scanner measures urine left after voiding. High residuals (>100-200ml) indicate failure to empty (hypocontractility or obstruction).
  • Renal Ultrasound: Essential for surveillance. We look for Hydronephrosis (swelling of the kidneys) caused by high bladder pressures pushing urine backward (reflux). We also screen for kidney stones, which are common in immobile patients due to hypercalciuria (bone demineralization).

Videourodynamics (VUDS). This is the Gold Standard diagnostic test for Neurogenic Bladder. It combines standard urodynamics with real-time fluoroscopy (X-ray). It answers the questions: Is the bladder safe? Does it leak? Does it empty?

  • Filling Cystometry: Measures bladder pressure and sensation during filling via a catheter.
    • Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity (NDO): Involuntary contractions seen on the graph.
    • Compliance: We measure the elasticity (Change in Volume / Change in Pressure). A “low compliance” bladder (stiff, fibrotic) is dangerous for the kidneys. Standard compliance is high; neurogenic compliance drops.
    • Detrusor Leak Point Pressure (DLPP): If the bladder leaks at pressures >40 cmH2O, the risk of upper tract damage is critically high (The “40 Rule”).
  • Electromyography (EMG): Patch electrodes measure sphincter activity.
    • Detrusor-Sphincter Dyssynergia (DSD): The EMG shows increased activity (contraction) during voiding, confirming the dangerous “clash” between bladder and sphincter.
  • Fluoroscopy: Visualizes the bladder shape.
    • Christmas Tree Bladder: A specific shape seen in neurogenic bladders due to severe trabeculation (muscle thickening).
    • Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR): Dye shooting up the ureters towards the kidneys.
    • Bladder Neck Competence: Checking if the outlet is open or closed.

Cystoscopy: A visual inspection of the bladder interior using a flexible scope.

  • Trabeculation: Thick muscle ridges indicate the bladder is fighting against high pressure (DSD or obstruction).
  • Stones/Tumors: Indwelling catheters increase the risk of bladder stones and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the bladder (due to chronic inflammation). Cystoscopy is used for surveillance in long-term catheter users.

Nuclear Medicine (DMSA/MAG3 Scan) is used to assess differential kidney function (split function) and scarring if hydronephrosis is found on ultrasound. It tells us how well each kidney is actually filtering blood and draining.

Ambulatory Urodynamics. When standard urodynamics fail to reproduce the symptoms (because the patient is lying still), ambulatory urodynamics can be used. This involves a portable device that records bladder pressures while the patient moves, walks, and performs daily activities, providing a more “real-world” assessment of bladder function.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is Urodynamics painful?

It is generally not painful, but it can be uncomfortable and invasive. It involves placing a small catheter in the bladder and another small pressure-sensing balloon in the rectum. At Liv Hospital, we use local anesthetic gel and take great care to preserve dignity. While inconvenient, it is the only test that can determine if your bladder pressure is dangerous to your kidneys.

Because the bladder and kidneys are a connected plumbing system. If the bladder pressure is too high (due to DSD or low compliance), the urine backs up (reflux). This “back-pressure” silently destroys the kidney tissue (hydronephrosis) without causing pain. Ultrasound serves as an early warning system to protect your kidneys.

This is a specific urodynamic maneuver. We instill ice-cold saline into the bladder. In patients with Upper Motor Neuron lesions (like MS or SCI), this cold shock triggers an immediate, reflexive bladder contraction (the Bors-Bloka reflex) due to C-fiber activation. It helps differentiate between upper and lower nerve damage when the diagnosis is unclear.

If you have a high-risk neurogenic bladder (e.g., Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injury), you typically need a Renal Ultrasound. Creatinine check every year, and Urodynamics every 1-2 years, or whenever symptoms change. Lifelong surveillance is the key to survival and preventing renal failure.

Yes. This is called “Silent Retention.” In conditions like Diabetes or Vitamin B12 deficiency, you may lose the sensation of fullness. Your bladder could be holding 1 liter of urine, causing back-pressure on your kidneys, but you feel absolutely nothing. This is why screening people with diabetes with ultrasound PVR is so significant.

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