Jonathan Ross, MD,
Chief, Center for Pediatric Urology and Division of Pediatric Urology, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital
Sleepovers, field trips and other everyday activities can be difficult for kids who cannot empty their bladders properly. Fortunately, University Hospitals Urology Institute’s Pediatric Urology Center at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital has a Voiding Dysfunction Clinic that helps kids overcome bedwetting, urinary incontinence and other voiding disorders.
“Cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, behavioral problems and poor toileting habits are some of the common causes of voiding disorders,” says Jonathan Ross, MD, Chief of the Pediatric Urology Center and the Division of Pediatric Urology at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.
Staff members at the Voiding Dysfunction Clinic thoroughly evaluate children and adolescents while keeping their comfort a priority. For example, children can have their urinary function measured without inserting tiny tubes in the urethra. Instead, they urinate into a special toilet that measures urinary flow rates. Doctors also may use ultrasound, uroflow/electromyogram, urodynamic and radiographic technology to diagnose patients’ conditions.
The Voiding Dysfunction Clinic offers a variety of treatment options. Biofeedback therapy can teach some children how to control urination. The biofeedback system has electrodes that measure the contraction and relaxation of the sphincter muscle. The system translates that bodily activity into a video game. Kids have to use their muscles properly to move characters.
Medications, botox injections and implantable neuromodular devices can help regulate bladder function. Some patients may need surgery to lower bladder pressure and improve its storage ability. Pediatric psychological support is available to help children cope with the challenges associated with voiding disorders.