Urodynamics
Urodynamic tests are used to assess how well your bladder and bladder neck store and pass urine. They can help explain symptoms such as leakage, urgency, difficulty emptying the bladder, or frequent urinary tract infections, and may be recommended before certain treatments or surgery.
The test is usually done in an outpatient clinic and takes about 30 to 60 minutes.
Urodynamics usually begins with a uroflow test, where you are asked to pass urine into a special toilet that measures the flow and volume of urine. This is simple, painless, and helps assess how well the bladder empties.
A thin tube (catheter) is gently placed into the bladder and either the rectum or vagina to measure pressures while the bladder is slowly filled with water. You may be asked to cough, move, or pass urine during the test so the clinician can see how your bladder behaves. While the test can feel uncomfortable, it should not be painful, and staff will explain each step as it happens.
At the end of the test, voiding cystometry measures how well the bladder empties while the pressure inside the bladder is recorded. You can usually return to normal activities straight afterwards, although mild discomfort or stinging when passing urine for a short time is common.
