My 5 year old boy has had issues for years with wetting his pants multiple times a day. It goes in cycles, he will not wet for a week or so and then start wetting 5 times a day. We have tried everything and now are looking to see if it is a medical problem.
His doctor has suggested a VCUG to detect if there are problems with his bladder or urethra. We can have the procedure done at our local hospital if he is not sedated for it. If we want him sedated, we will have to go drive 2 hours away. We planned on having him sedated until the day of the appointment (after multiple phone calls discussing the upcoming procedure with the hospital!) that our appointment, which we made months ago, was for a date and time where they could not sedate him. We cancelled the appointment.
We need to decide now whether we want to have him sedated so we can set up a new appointment. If anyine has had experience with a VCUG and whether it is very painful, what are the pros and cons of having my little boy sedated for the procedure or not. I want to be a good mom and don't want him to be in a lot of pain but would like to avoid the hassels involved with the specialty hospital if the procedure is not that big of a deal.
Thank you so much, everyone, for taking the time, and for your concern and advice. I feel like all of you have been so much more helpful than my kid's doctor. I am so glad I posted this question because after talking to my doctor nd reading about the procedure on the internet, I was almost convinced that this was a painless procedure and that sedation unneccesary. I now feel confident that the right decision is to go through the childrens hospital and have him sedated for the procedure.
Thanks also to the radiologists and Ashley S. for replying. Since the procedure will be at Primary Childrens hospital it is comforting to hear from people who have performed the procedure and work at that hospital. I will be making my appointment tomorrow :)
I would definitely have him sedated. My oldest daughter had a VCUG when she was about 2 1/2, it was pretty traumatic for her. She doesn't remember it though, thankfully. At his age, he will remember it if he isn't sedated.
Good luck and I hope you are able to get some answers!
My 14 year old had a scope into the bladder, etc. I wouldn't suggest anyone doing that without sedation. It can be scarey for anyone, let alone a child.
Hi Andrea,
My son is now 11 and has had his share of VCUG's. The first one when he was 2 for a bladder infection. It was an awful, horrible, never-want-to-experience-again, procedure, we had it done at our local hospital and they used a catheter that was too big, then switched to a newborn feeding tube, he was given atovan but it didn't help. The next one was done when he was 7, and they didn't want to sedate him then either, but I insisted and he was given oral versed which didn't work either, and then after 1/2 and hour of trying to get the catheter in, were unable to do it anyway. So, then we took him to the children's hospital and they wanted to do it without sedation and it backfired, the staff were great, but he was just so traumatized from previous experiences that he wouldn't let them get anywhere near him. We then booked him in for general anesthetic and they woke him up in the radiology department, where the rest of the test was done. They do have to be awake so that they can pee to finish the test and get the proper results. The test went fine and the next challenge was getting the catheter taken out because he was awake for that part. He was more embarrassed than anything but he said that that part was not as painful as when they tried to put it in when he was awake. The only problem that we had both times that they were successful in completing the test was that he was unable to pee for a few hours after and there was a bit of blood in his pee when he did finally go, both of which are fairly common and not that alarming if treated. We just gave him some Ibuprofen which helped with pain and swelling and he was back to peeing within 6 hours, it was smooth sailing after that. Gratefully, there was nothing wrong with his kidneys but has a tilted bladder and an abnormally small bladder. It was treated with medication to increase the size of his bladder,and he hasn't had a bladder infection since. I strongly recommend the sedation or even general anesthetic, it made all the difference for my son.
Hope everything goes well, oh and ask for the urologist to put the catheter in and not the nurses, the ped. urologist would have more success than the nurses typically.
S.
I am a SAHM of 4 sons, 11, 9, 7, and 2. They are the highlights (and some lowlights too) of my life, I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world! I am happily married to the my highschool sweetheart and will celebrate our 12th anniversary in October!
My 9 year old daughter has had a few VCUG's. The first one being when she was 5. It does hurt when they initially put the catheter in, after that we had no problems. She was never sedated for any of her procedures. It was scary for her, but I explained to her what was going to happen (as best I could to a 5 year old) before we went, that seemed to help somewhat. I don't know if a catheter hurts a boy more than a girl, but I'm betting it's about the same. She had hers done at our local hospital. I would suggest asking for a pediatric nurse to insert the catheter, they seem to be a little better at it for the little kids. I stayed with her the whole time and held her hand. Let him take a blanket or stuffed animal that he is close to, this helped my daughter also. Hope this helps. Good luck in finding a solution for your son.
My now 16 year old son had the same type of problem and we had the same test done and yes I would recommend the sedation. It can be very painful during and after. Even though it can be a hassle to deal with the specialists, you will take comfort in knowing he will not be tramitized by the experience.
Personally, I would speak with a naturopath about it first. Medical doctors tend to offer (sometimes painful) medical procedures while a naturopath will look very closely to see if there are other causes (emotional, situational, etc.) that are creating a physical condition. The naturopath will make suggestions that will be non-invasive and painless, avoiding a painful, scary, and perhaps avoidable medical procedure for your young son. I'm not suggesting that you ignore your doctor's suggestion, I'm simply suggesting that you speak to a naturopath before making a final decision to see if there's something else you might try first.
T.
Hey there! I actually work at Primary Children's in their x ray department. I perform VCUG's on a daily basis. Here is my recommendation. A 5 year old is old enough to understand what is going on, and why you are doing the test. The hospital has Child life specialists available to prep your child prior to the test. All of the technologist at CHildren's hospitals are very well trained, and great at their job. I would TOTALLY recommend going to a childrens hospital because they do this test 10 times a day every day. I dont think your child will need to be sedated. I have had lots of experience with both, and most kids do just fine with the proper preparations. The test only takes about 15 minutes and then you can be on your way. If you get sedated, your child will have to fast, and then recover in the hospital, which will be a much more drawn out event. I hope this helps, and good luck!
Andrea if a procedure has the option it would seem just sensible and compassionate in regard to your child to choose sedation. I am a mother who does not vaccinate, had her child at home ...but when it come to their comfort err on the side of what would be least traumatic, it sounds as if he is under some sort of physiological "stress" within his body have the procedure in the most comfortable manner-for him.
K.
My daughter had a VCUG done when she was 14 months. She had a urinary infection, so the doctor wanted to make sure her kidneys and uretha were okay. I guess it is not uncommon for one of them to be abnormal at birth. Anyway, it was awful!!! The procedure was quick, and I don't think she was in any great pain. I'm sure it was very uncomfortable for her. The awful part was that I had to hold her down while she was screaming. She was scared to death. The nurses were scary, the table was cold, the big machine hanging over them was scary. I can still cry when I think about it! Any adult would be inimidated by it, too. I will never do that to her again. If we are ever faced with that test again, then she will have to be sedated and they will have to give me a very good reason to why she needs the test. The good news was that she was young, so she has no memory of it. Also, she had no abnormalities.
I know that it is always difficult to make decisions for your children when it comes to medical stuff. We always want to do what is best for them, but we also don't want them to be in pain or scared. Good luck with your decision.
I would recommend sedating. Most definately!! My daughter had the procedure done when she was 4 years old. The Dr. prescribed a mild sedative. It did not do the trick and now our daughter is somewhat traumetized from the experience. For example, she now panics anytime she is to be medically treated. She had a couple of vaccinations earlier this week and it was quite obvious that she still isn't over the experience that took place over a year ago.
Good luck with the procedure. I hope that everything works out for the best!
I am a Radiology Technologist. I have given a lot of VCUG exams to children. It can be scary and traumatic IF the technologist isn't good with children or good at catheters. I personally prided myself on being good with children and enjoyed the challenge of making it an ok experience for the kids. We didn't ever sedate the children at our hospital for these exams and gave them all the time. It really isn't a painful process, just uncomfortable as they need to have a catheter. It is also a bit uncomfortable because they fill your bladder up with liquid which makes it feel like you have to go to the bathroom really bad. I think your 5 year old is old enough that if you prepare him a little on your way to the appointment for what to expect that he will do fine. Don't talk about it too soon or too much as that will give him time to worry. This is just my personal opinion. You know your son best. Does this type of thing really upset him? Take that into consideration as you debate sedation.
Andrea,
Both of my children have had the VCUG test. One at a local hospital (Skyridge) , the other at Children's Hospital in Denver. My Children are ages are 5(girl) & 3(boy). Neither hospital would allow sedation for this test. It is not painful. Just uncomfotable. The child has to be awake for the voiding!
It was not near as bad as I thought. The whole test is pretty quick. Take care and hopefully you and your child will do just fine.
Hi Andrea,
I once worked as a nurse in the Pediatric Urology Clinic at Primary Children's Medical Center. A VCUG (Voiding Cystourethrogram) is a procedure in which a catheter is placed in your child's urinary bladder, the bladder is filled through the catheter with contrast (dye). The catheterization is uncomfortable but usually not painful. A series of x-rays are taken while the bladder is filling & emptying. After the bladder is full, your child will be asked to urinate. This may be embarrasing & difficult to accomplish if your child is self conscious. Sedation does give the benefit of helping ease your child's anxiety. Depending on the type of sedation & when it is given (before the procedure or during the procedure) your child may or may not remember having gone through the procedure. Regardless of what your decision is, please explain to your boy what is going to take place so he is prepared. This will help you all in the long run. Good Luck.
My daughter has had many VCUGs done; the first was done when she was 4 years old. They were very painful and scary for her when she was little. She was not sedated for the first one and it was very traumatic. Not only was it painful, but they have to pee on the table while they are getting x-rayed. She was humiliated, embarrassed, and in pain. After that first one I insisted on sedation ever time until she was too old to take oral Versed. She has them now without sedation and she still hates them, but she is old enough and has had enough now that she handles it okay.
We have had VCUGs done at three different hospitals and the most pleasent experience, by far, was when we went to a children's hospital. The nursing staff meant well at the other places, but they just weren't used to working with children in that difficult situation. Sometimes their efforts to encourage backfired because of inexperience.
I recommend going to Primary Children's Hospital to get it done. The staff at children's hospitals are so much better at calming children and helping them through difficult procedures than at regular hospitals. In fact, if you go to Primary Children's you may not need to have him sedated. Our children's hospital in California would not sedate for a VCUG, but after having one there I don't think my daughter needed the sedation because the staff was so good.
Andrea,
I can understand where you are coming from. When my little girl was 4 months old her bile ducts weren't functioning properly so they filled her with this like ionizing radiation that would give clear imaging of her digestive tract and her bile ducts. It was scary as all get out. She was sedated because they did an MRI not an x-ray. The only real reason I would see for sedation would be to make sure they got a great picture... she didn't seem discomforted at all, other than that she was hungry. So if it is an X-ray, and not an MRI or if your son can hold still for a while while in the MRI I WOulnd't worry about sedation. Some hospitals sedate as standard procedure to save time and effort as far as accuracy and imaging goes.
I hope this helps.
Hello, it looks like you already have a lot of good help. My daughter had this done when she was about 4, they did not put her totally out, but did give her a mild sedative to help "relax and calm" her. She did very well as far as the procedure/pain etc, but was very scared of the big machines and of someone touching her private parts. She had a little pain after that we just treated with tylenol, but compare to the pain she was having from all the infections it wasn't bad. It was more of an emotional thing for her. She talked about it for a long time after and is still worried and embarrassed when ever she gets an infection because she remembers the catheter being inserted. I would suggest sedation even if just for the emotional side. I would imagine that it will be a much more painful and emotional procedure for a boy anyway. If it is any help though the procedure is simple and NOT dangerous, and it can tell you very quickly if there is a problem that need addressed.
My brother had it done in his teen years and he said it was the most painful experience. I would have my child sedated if it were me. Best of luck to you and your little one!
I don't know if you have checked but those kind of problems are often related to food or food dye allergies. My daughter is almost 6 and was still wetting the bed and I narrowed down the foods that would trigger that and have solved the problem.
My daughter had this done at about 6 months old after having a couple UTI's, they did it as a precautionary measure. There was no sedation used and my daughter hated it and was miserable during it, which was hard to see, but there didn't seem to be any pain or discomfort after the procedure was done, whereas there is discomfort coming out of sedation. So, I think it is a toss up and a hard decision. Good luck!
I would agree to go with the sedation, have you ever had a catheder put in? While not on the same level I was thinking of the first time I had a catheder put in, I was 22, single...and I was mortified--it felt so degrading and invasive. I was mature enough to understand what was goin on as well. I was thinking about that reading your question and wondering what would have happened at five. I think for one the procedure sounds like it could be painful, and two-- those type of procedures can be traumatic. I think it would be better to sheild your child from having to deal with more than he has to.
my son is 6 and has had 2 and will have his 3rd next year. my dr gives him a very mild sedative that has an amnesiac effect. It doesn't completly knock him out, but he doesn't remember it a year later like he remembers everything else! They have told me that he needs to be awakeish because he needs to push the urine out to see if it goes into the kidneys, just using the catheter doesn't do that. We weren't givin the option to have him sedated completly which I REALLY wanted at the time, but I understand the dr's point. I want an accurate diagnosis, not something they have to repeat b/c they just aren't sure.
GL with however it works out. If you would like to email me about this, my email is ____@____.com
J. in MT
