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Patient Prep No prior patient prep needed What is a voiding cystourethogram? A voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) is an X-ray examination of the bladder and lower urinary tract. A catheter is inserted through How is the procedure performed? The technologist begins by positioning your child on the table. Infants and young children may be wrapped tightly in a blanket or other restraint to help them lie still during the imaging. One or more images are usually captured before the contrast material is introduced. Your child will be cleaned with special soap and a small, sterile tube is placed through the urethra into the bladder. The tube in the bladder is then connected to a bottle of a special contrast material that is dripped by gravity until the bladder is filled. The radiologist and/or the technologist watch a monitor while the bladder is filling to see if any of the liquid goes backward into one or both ureters. After the bladder is filled, the catheter is removed and a series of images are captured as your child empties his or her bladder. After your child has voided completely, a final image is taken to see how well the bladder empties. What will my child experience during the procedure? A voiding cystourethrogram is painless, though young children can be frightened when they are tightly wrapped and unable to move. Before the catheter is inserted, your child's genital area is scrubbed and prepared with sterile materials, which may feel cold because of the antiseptic used. Inserting the catheter and filling the bladder with the liquid contrast material causes no pain, but some children may experience mild discomfort. |
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the urethra, the urinary bladder is filled with a water-soluble contrast material, and the catheter is withdrawn. Several X-ray images of the bladder and urethra are captured as the patient empties the bladder. These images allow radiologists to diagnose any abnormalities in the flow of urine through the body. 
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