Pediatric Imaging

VCUG (Voiding Cystourethrogram)

What is a VCUG?
Why do I need a VCUG?
Do I need to do anything to prepare for the exam?
What will happen during the VCUG?
View Photos of the Procedure Room and the Waiting Room

What is a VCUG?

A VCUG stands for voiding cystourethrogram. This is a big word and so we usually just call it a "VCUG." A VCUG is a special type of X-ray that can see fluids like urine (pee) move in your body. A VCUG takes a picture of your kidneys, bladder and how the urine moves through them and out of your body.

 

Why do I need a VCUG?

You might need a VCUG if you have had an infection in the part of your body where the urine flows before you go to the bathroom. You may have felt uncomfortable when you had to urinate or pee, like a burning or pinching feeling. This part of your body is called the urinary tract and you may have had a urinary tract infection or UTI. The doctor will want to take a picture of your urinary tract to make sure that the urine is going where it needs to go…out of your body…to make sure that you are healthy.

Do I need to do anything to prepare for the exam?

There is nothing you need to do to prepare for this procedure.

What will happen during the VCUG?

When you come to the hospital for the VCUG, you and your parents will check in at the Pediatric Waiting Area and Playroom. There are many toys and books for you to play with in the Pediatric Waiting Area or you can bring your own toys and books with you from home. The person who will be taking the X-rays is called the technologist. When it is your turn, he or she will take you and your family into an examination room. This room has a table in the middle with a camera next to it. This is the camera that will take pictures of the inside of you! This camera does not look like the camera that your mom uses to take pictures on the first day of school, on your birthday or when you go on a trip. This camera is too big to carry and so it always stays in this special room. That is why you have to come to the hospital to get your picture taken.

The technologist will ask you to change into special hospital pajamas and will then ask you to lie on your back on the table and rest your head on a pillow. Then, he or she will ask you to bend your knees so that your legs look like a frog…do you know what a frog’s leg looks like?

After you are doing your best imitation of a frog the technologist will put on gloves. This is to make sure that everything is very clean and free from germs. Then she will wash the area where you pee three times with soap. This soap is a little different from the soap you use to wash your hands and face. It is a special brown hospital soap and it might feel a little bit cool. The technologist will try to keep it warm. This might feel a little bit funny since usually your mom or dad is the person who probably gives you a bath, but your parents will be right there with you and it is ok for the technologist or the doctor to clean this area before the examination.

Next, the technologist might put a blue cloth over your tummy. This is like the cloth you wear at the dentist office so that your clothes do not get toothpaste on them. This cloth does the same thing; it protects your clothes. Then the technologist will gently slide a thin, clear, flexible tube into the place where you pee. This place where the tube is inserted is called the urethra. This might also feel funny but if you take deep breaths and try to relax your body, the tube will slide right in. The technologist will tape the tube to your leg so it won’t fall out. The technologist will show you that the tube is connected to a glass bottle filled with clear liquid. This liquid will go into your bladder (the place where the urine or pee collects in your body. You can watch your bladder fill with this liquid (called contrast material) on a TV screen by your head. Can you see the round black balloon shape on the screen? This is your bladder. Isn’t it funny how the liquid looks clear in the bottle but looks black on the screen?

When your bladder is filling with this clear liquid, it might make you feel as if you have to go to the bathroom. When you feel as if you really really REALLY need to go to the bathroom, tell the technologist and the doctor. They will need to take a few quick photos with their big camera before you can go to the bathroom. As soon as they are done taking those photos, they will ask you to urinate (pee) right on the table. They need to take a few more photos while you are urinating to see how your bladder empties. Do not worry, this might be a very strange feeling, but everyone who comes to the hospital for a VCUG has to do the same thing. This might be a little bit uncomfortable for you but it will be over in just a few minutes. The important thing to remember is to lie as still as possible. Just like when your mom takes your picture with her camera, if you move around when the doctor is taking the photo, it will be too fuzzy to see what he or she needs to see.

**A Reminder to Moms who are pregnant or who might be pregnant – Please bring another adult with you to accompany your child during the procedure. We will ask that you watch the procedure from a shielded area to protect your unborn baby from x-rays. **